Lardener's Legacy
by weldolet
Summary: Djaq and Will return to Sherwood from the Holy Lands looking to Robin for protection - from King Richard!
1. Home

Lardener's Legacy

The two hooded figures ran through the trees, their earth coloured cloaks and the twilight of the autumn September evening rendering them almost invisible, their footfalls silent.

They were on familiar territory at last. The surrounding trees, shrubs and grasses still clinging on to the last of the summer's warmth welcomed them as if they were long lost prodigal children. But they could not take the time to savour the sights and smells of home. They had been prey for too many days. The hunters were still chasing them. Both knew what the other was thinking, and they were united in their goal. They had to get there, keep moving, keep moving. Once we get there we will be safe. The mantra kept them going through their fear and exhaustion.

Then they heard the horses. They froze. They were getting closer. The two figures regarded each other, their agreement unspoken. The smaller one reached up and cupped the face of the taller. Both nodded and then they separated. One silently sneaking through the trees, the other making towards the path of the horses, trying to make enough noise for two.

The chase was on, horse against foot, speed against agility. How long would he last? He knew that he had to be chased until the other was clear before he too could disappear into the welcome camouflage of the trees.

The other fled towards their target, swift, silent and sure footed. The path was well known to the runner. Thoughts of the person left behind as decoy, cargo being carried too precious to allow it to be taken by the hunters, not now when we are so close. So close. Please be there, please be there.

She became aware of his presence the instant before she barrelled into him. He caught her before she fell, his grip firm, his strong arms holding her back. She yelled in response, preparing to kick, scratch, bite, then stopped herself as she recognised her captor.

"John!!" her relief brought tears to her eyes.

The giant figure of John Little nearly dropped her in his surprise.

"Djaq!"

"What are you doing here? Why are you running?" the big man looked past her, "Will? Is he with you?"

The questions came out in a rush, none of which she could answer in time.

"No time to explain! Where are the others? We have to help him". Noting the urgency of her tone, her dishevelled appearance and the near panic in her expression, Little John realised that the questions could wait.

"This way" and he turned back towards the camp, towards home.

He whistled a signal as they approached the rocks that sheltered their camp and the flap swung open. Allan a Dale was standing to the left, bow strung and ready, Much was poised for battle grasping his sword. She could not see Robin and her heart sank.

On seeing the familiar petite figure beside John, Allan face broke into a grin.

"Now there is a sight for sore eyes! What brings you back?"

The expression on Much's face mirrored the delight at seeing her. "I didn't think we'd ever see you again!"

"Where is Robin?" she had no time for pleasantries. However her haste did not prevent her from noticing the crestfallen looks on the faces of her comrades.

Little John looked over at her and simply said "Not here", while the others found a great interest in their feet.

"We need to go now! Will needs us"

They watched her in silence as she placed a sack she had been carrying in the camp and ran back out again, heading towards where she had come from.

"Come on!" she shouted, startling the three men out of their stupor. They all looked at each other, shared a shrug and then jogged after her.

He did not think that he could run for much longer. He wondered if he had given Djaq enough time to get away, and if it might be safe to start circling back. The horses were still behind him, and now, even though it was getting darker, their riders had dared to leave the road. That served to slow them down, but not enough. They were gaining on him.

There was one to his right, forcing him to veer left. There another one to the left. He became aware of another in front. They were penning him in like a wild animal. These were experienced trackers and they knew how to operate in the woods.

He broke through into a small clearing and dashed for the cover on the other side. A horseman cut him off and he skidded to a halt then switched direction, preparing to sprint to safety. Another horse appeared in front of him and reared. He backed off and swivelled round, two of them blocking his way, one moved in from his left and the rider kicked out at him, knocking him off his feet. Quick as a flash he was back up again. He reached behind him and pulled out his axe. He was not going down without a fight.

"Do not be foolish. You are outnumbered." The leader of the hunters stilled his horse while the other three surrounded the young man, circling him, confusing his senses. There was no escape.

Will Scarlett waited.

"Where is the other?" the leader asked.

"Where you will never find her" he growled in response.

"Hmm. We shall see. Rest assured, we will find her, take what we want and after we are done with her we will kill her." It was intended to anger him and it worked.

He gripped his axe tighter and crouched low. One axe against four on horses, he knew his odds were not good. His heart started racing, adrenalin pumping through his body as the horsemen drew even closer. All rational thought left him and it became pure instinct – a fight for survival.

He was being pressed in by the horses, given no purchase to swing his axe. He dropped it and grabbed at the legs of the rider nearest him, who kicked out catching him in the jaw. His head snapped back and he reeled only to be struck by another horseman. The blow drove him to his knees. "Goodbye my love" the thought was fleeting as he prepared for the next strike.

Fftthhddd!

A horseman fell to the ground, an arrow protruding from his arm.

Fftthhddd!

Another was struck in the hand.

All occupants in the clearing looked up, and Will Scarlett scrambled to his feet, not daring to hope that he was being rescued. He backed away from his tormentors, breathing heavily.

"You know four on horseback against one on foot is not my idea of fair sport!"

The disembodied voice came from the direction of the arrows although there was no other sign of its owner. Yet Will almost shouted for joy, he knew that voice, trusted that voice with his life, and would follow that voice to his death if he had to.

"Show yourself, unless you are too cowardly…" the leader of the horsemen challenged the newcomer.

"Ha" returned the voice "there is a distinction between cowardice and wisdom". The voice continued on "this is my forest, you are not welcome here, leave before my men attack"

The four attackers looked around nervously.

"You have no men here – it's just you and him – and he doesn't count, this one here is a traitor to the King, we have orders from Richard himself to track him and his woman down. This is none of your business" The leader appeared confident in his defiance.

At that, a lone figure stepped out from behind a tree. Pulling a bow string, arrow aiming straight at the heart of the leader.

"He is not the traitor here. Leave"

"No, not without our prisoners" The man stared back at the hooded man and grinned at him. "you are alone", he jeered "there are no men".

The man in the trees just stood staring at him. The leader could just make out the glint in his eyes in the evening dusk.

"Right lads, bring him" he called to his men, who had recovered enough to grab a retreating Will. "Lets go"

Fftthhddd! Fftthhddd! Fftthhddd!

This time the arrows came from three different directions. A huge giant came running through bearing a long staff roaring a battle cry. He struck both of the men holding the captive with two swift blows. He picked up the axe and tossed it to Will and they nodded to each other and turned to the other two.

Two others arrived from either side, bows at the ready. Each aiming at a different target.

Then she came, bearing a sword in both hands, in fighting stance and the leader knew then that he was defeated. He turned to the hooded man who had said nothing during this time.

"So you are the famous Robin Hood. The King said that they would run to you and that you would protect them. Mark my words, it will be your undoing."

At that, he and the other remaining horseman turned and galloped off, leaving behind their unconscious comrades and four somewhat confused outlaws.

Outlaws who continued to stare at each other for several minutes before someone finally broke the awkward silence.

"So, you back for good then or what?"

Yes you could always rely on Allan a Dale.


	2. Traitor

Night had fallen silently over Sherwood Forest.

Djaq sat staring at the fire breathing in the cool damp atmosphere that she finally admitted to herself that she missed. She allowed the hypnotic fire light to sooth her troubled mind, emptying it of the worries that had plagued them since they began their journey – since before then – since Bassam…..she couldn't complete the thought as she felt the tears prick behind her eyes. She had still not accepted what had happened to them. She knew that it would be a long time before she would come to terms with it all.

She looked up as a blanket was placed around her shoulders and smiled at the gentle giant that was John Little, who sat beside her and hugged her. She had missed the small kindnesses that they did, this gang of thieves and cutthroats. Ha – if only they knew how gentle they really were compared to….no she could not even complete those thoughts either. She sighed deeply.

"Its good to have you back" John interrupted her musings, voicing the feelings of them all. "You and Will" he added glancing up at the young man approaching them and taking his place on the other side of the her, typically passing her a plate of stew just as he had always done. It was like they had never been away. But they had been gone for a year, and they had been missed. He took in their gaunt appearances, the shadows under their eyes, the fear that seemed to emanate from them. They had a story to tell, but he was prepared to wait to hear it. Right now, it seemed to big John Little, they needed to forget and enjoy their family, if only for a moment or two. He wanted them to know that he was truly glad to see them, things had not been the same without them.

Much joined the small group gathered around the fire, cradling his bowl of stew lovingly. Some things never changed, and for Much it was the pleasure of food. He looked at his comrades expectantly.

"So then. What's the story? I must say we were surprised to see you, we didn't know that you were coming back – Robin never said. After all the sending pigeons back and forth a while back, and then that seemed to stop. And then all of a sudden we get a message three weeks ago, and I don't mind telling you that I am glad to know now what was in that message. Robin was so funny about it all, I'm surprised he didn't tell us the good news." Much was in full flow apparently oblivious to the shocked stares from the new arrivals and the subtle but frantic hand gestures from John telling him to stop – now, immediately.

"What message Much?" asked Djaq, not disguising the apprehension in her voice.

Much hesitated. "Well the last message that you sent with the pigeon." He affirmed looking between the two of them.

At the silent stares that he received he deflated.

"You didn't send a message saying you were coming home did you?."

They shook their heads.

"Robin did not read you this message?" urged Djaq.

"No" hissed John. "Robin did not tell us what was in the message." It was clear that he had not been amused about that.

Much continued

"No, but he's been acting all funny ever since. He hardly spends any time with us, he gets up, says little and disappears for hours, never an explanation of where he has been, or what he has been doing."

Much could not hide the disappointment in his voice.

"I just thought that maybe he had been waiting for you to come back, and that would explain his behaviour of late." He went on.

John shrugged in that way of his that told their companions that he agreed with the man – for once.

Will and Djaq shared anxious looks with each other. Djaq then placed a hand on his arm, clearly trying to soothe him.

"It will be alright Will, he will understand" she tried her best to sound more confident than she felt.

Will said nothing and just stared into the flames, his half touched meal forgotten. He had hoped to tell Robin first, and now he knew that his leader would be looking for an explanation, a very difficult explanation. What if Robin did not believe him, but chose to side with King Richard? Will Scarlett knew how loyal Robin was to his King, he himself felt the same loyalty towards Robin. What would he do if he was rejected by the one man on this world that he trusted beyond life itself? Where would he go? What would he and Djaq do if they had to leave this place?

John and Much shared their own anxious look. What was going on?

Much opened his mouth to voice his thoughts but was interrupted by the sound of the door to the hideout opening. Will could not help but feel a small surge of pride at the mechanism that still worked smoothly after so long. But this was quickly quashed as he regarded the faces of Robin and Allan as they entered the camp. They deposited their weapons and grabbed bowls of food and joined them.

John raised his eyebrows in question and Allan nodded between bolting mouthfuls of the warming stew.

"Yeah we deposited them about a mile from Nottingham, they'll be alright." he assured them of the fate of the soldiers that had chased Will and been left behind by their leaders. "Hey Much, you're improving mate, this isn't half bad. Or maybe I'm half starving!" he joked.

He had quickly sized up the mood in the camp and had decided to inject a bit of Allan a Dale joviality to lighten the mood. After all it wasn't every day you got to celebrate the return of old friends. Even if they seemed to bring half a ton of troubles with them. Robin wasn't exactly lightening the atmosphere with his silences and black looks.

"Very funny" came the short response in typical fashion.

Djaq watched Robin, trying to assess his mood, to read him somehow. But he was a closed book. He in turn was staring at Will across the fire while he ate his meal silently. Will knew he was being scrutinised and did not bear up well. Djaq's heart sank when she saw that he could not hold Robin's gaze in return. Will felt guilt and shame and for no reason. She fervently hoped that Robin would grant him the exoneration that he needed, indeed that he deserved.

It wasn't long before Robin decided to speak and in the silence that followed you could hear the leaves fall from the trees.

"So Will, tell me why I shouldn't turn you in for the murdering traitor that King Richard says you are…."


	3. An Explanation Demanded

Thank-you for the reviews they are really appreciated.

I hope you enjoy this next section which is intended to build up the story of Will and Djaq a little more (in other words I have set myself a real challenge!!!)

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All eyes were on Will Scarlett, who in turn stared back at Robin aghast. His thoughts in turmoil, he did not know what to say, or where to begin. This wasn't how he had pictured things, but then again he did not know what he had envisaged on their return. Certainly not this. Every day had been focussed on attaining their goal – get to Robin and he will help them. Robin would know what to do.

He knew that they were all waiting for him to say something.

But what?

"Robin" he began, "its not what you think"

"What do I think Will?" Will winced at the coolness of Robin's voice.

Silence.

"Go on, tell me what I am thinking." Robin pressed him.

Will looked to the ground. He could not answer. There was so much to tell, and he had tried working out what he would say during the long journey home. But now, faced with the reality of what had happened to them, and Robin's animosity, he realised that this was going to be the most difficult part of all.

Djaq could take no more.

"Robin, what have you been told?" she asked, clearly vexed at his tone of voice. "Whatever it is you must know that Will is not a traitor, he is no murderer. You know that."

Robin did not acknowledge her, he continued staring at the top of Will Scarlett's head, waiting for a response. It was true that he did not want to believe the message from the King, he wanted to be told that it was a lie. He had deliberately challenged Will this way because he had needed him to instantly rebuff what he had said, so that he could then dismiss it as a lie. But this behaviour from Will alarmed him. It was clear to him that Will Scarlett felt remorse. Robin dreaded that there was truth in the message he had received from the King.

Finally Will spoke.

"I killed someone, someone close to the King, and that is why we ran here" he ventured.

Robin closed his eyes and sighed, his worst fears realised.

"It wasn't just someone was it Will? It was a Bishop. You killed a holy man."

At Will's hesitant nod, Much, John and Allan gaped at him open mouthed.

Djaq put her hand on Wills shoulder and stood by him defiantly.

"Its not as simple as you might think Robin. You have to hear everything from the beginning. Then you will understand." She declared. "We come to you because we trust that you of all people will listen to us, and that you will help us."

Robin finally drew his gaze from the young carpenter and regarded her. He noted that she was thin and drawn, and the usual fire in her eyes was missing. Looking back at Will, who had lifted his head again, he noted his gaunt appearance and the haunted look that he bore.

They were his people, they came to him because they trusted him, could he repay that trust? He considered the message that had filled him with dread and worry. He had no doubt that it was authentic, it was from the King himself, it had all their pre-arranged codes and the ring around the pigeon's foot had been etched with the correct mark. But he could not bring himself to accept the content of the succinct letter, and as each day had passed he had found himself pondering over it. He would leave the camp and go out for hours alone, looking for signs of their return to the forest, hoping against hope that he would not see them, as it would make the message true.

Then he had spotted Will running from the hunters who were no doubt chasing the bounty that was on his head. And he knew then that there was that inch of truth.

But did that inch of truth make the message a lie or a fact?

Looking at his friends he knew that he owed it to them to listen to what they had to say. That was why he had despatched the hunters, he needed to hear it from Will. Will was one of the most honest men he had ever met and Robin knew that he would admit to whatever he had done.

He had to believe that.

He nodded to them both.

"Alright, tell me everything, from the beginning."

And thus began the tale of Will and Djaq and how they fared in Acre. And as they told their story, the fire had to be replenished several times, and three flasks of wine were consumed. And eventually the night drew in to the first light of the morning, before they came to the point where they had arrived back in England and the four men of Sherwood let go of the collective breath that they didn't realise that they were holding.

At that point Robin Hood understood the significance of the message that he had received so many weeks ago from King Richard the Lionheart and what action he now had to take.


	4. A New Life Shattered

"At the beginning we were happy" Djaq began, looking to Will for confirmation. He smiled wistfully at her and nodded, encouraging her to continue. He would let her tell this part of the tale.

"Bassam," she hesitated slightly as her voice caught on his name, "Bassam was kind. He welcomed us, gave us a home, chaperoned us when he felt it was required" her eyes crinkled as she smiled at the memory.

"We were accepted by most in Acre, although not everyone was happy to see me with an Englishman. But we did not expect it to be any other way. We were prepared for rejection. Eventually Bassam spoke for us and" – her features softened again into a smile "we were given permission to marry."

She and Will then held hands and looked over the firelight to see the reaction. John smiled at them, Much looked surprised, Allan looked wistful. Robin nodded at them in acknowledgement, his features remaining impassive.

"So you two are – "

"Married, yes Much." She confirmed.

"For seven months now" added Will, squeezing her hand. "We had two ceremonies, one in Acre and one at the King's camp," it was his turn now to hesitate. "The King, he married us…." He finished quietly.

"Whoa – the King? As in King Richard?" this from Much in disbelief.

"Yeah" came the reply. "We thought it was right and fair that our marriage be blessed in both our countries, so we asked the King's permission too. He insisted that he perform the ceremony himself, saying that it was a sign for peace between the English and the Turks."

"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle!" exclaimed Allan a Dale. "Married by the King! That will be a tale to tell your grandchildren!"

Will and Djaq looked at each other, each appearing to try and take strength from the other. Then Djaq continued the story.

"It was a good day and it was a fine ceremony, such as it could be. We were very happy, although it was not ideal. We would have preferred for all of you to be there to witness. But we could not wait any more and we were honoured by your King Richard. Near the end of the day, when we were to return to Bassam's house, we talked of you, Robin, and Marian. We knew then that we had to go and see her before we went home."

Robin's features softened and his lips curled into a half smile as he appreciated the sentiment of what they had done that day. Taking the time out to think of Marian on a day that should have been just for them. He acknowledged to himself that in truth it was very typical of them.

Will's features darkened at this point.

"We were followed to the grave. It turned out that not everyone was happy for us."

Robin's ears perked up as Will made this statement and leaned forward, waiting to hear more.

"The Bishop, I don't even know his name, he had three soldiers with him. I remember seeing him in the King's tent earlier and they had talked for a long time. He was angry I think. I hadn't thought much about it at the time, but now I believe that he had been trying to persuade the King not to marry us."

He frowned into the fire, concentrating on the memory.

"He told us that the Church would not recognise our marriage. He said that we were fighting a Holy War and that consorting with Saracen's was heresy. He said that we would pay."

He looked up at Robin steadily now that he was in full flow. Robin's brow was crinkled in concern.

"He said things about Djaq that I could not repeat." Djaq nodded in agreement, her eyes displaying her emotions.

"What did you do?" breathed Much.

"What could we do? We were defenceless and we didn't think they would dare harm us. We left and went home. We started our new life and we tried to forget what had been said." Will then fell silent and allowed Djaq to proceed with the story.

"Bassam wanted me to learn how to handle the pigeons, and I was taught to train them and raise them. He gave us some land that he owned and Will started building a house for us. I don't think he had ever known such luxury! I was permitted to send some messages to you and we were glad to receive yours in return. Will would pass on your messages to the King as soon as they arrived. They were messages of peace, there were no secrets, there was no treachery."

Will interjected at this point.

"Not everyone agreed though. When I delivered your third message the King was resting and I was taken to see ….Him." He spat out the word.

"The bishop?" Much needed the confirmation as he was trying to keep up.

Will nodded and continued.

"He wanted to know who else had seen the message, where we had received it, who the pigeon handler was. I had to prove I was not a traitor to the King by showing him where Bassam's house was."

He looked up at Robin again, seeking his approval.

"I told him that the only person I would show was King Richard and no-one else."

Robin nodded. That was the right answer to give.

"What happened next?" he prompted.

"Nothing, I was allowed to leave and I went home." This was said softly. "I don't know if I was followed that day or the next time I took a message, or even if it was the time after that. I was always careful, I did not want to put Bassam in danger. But somehow they worked out where we lived."

He paused and took a breath, while Djaq sat and closed her eyes. This was the worst part and she steeled herself to relive it.

"They didn't come straight away. We were left in peace. But one evening, about three months ago, I came back from building our house and they were there." The anguish in Will's voice grew as he went on. "I led them there – I must have."

Four pairs of eyes stared at him, waiting anxiously for the next part.

"Bassam was already dead, and the bishop was beating Djaq while she was held by his soldiers."

John lifted his head in anger, while Much's jaw dropped. Allan a Dale closed his eyes trying to blank out the vision. Robin's features were sympathetic for the first time.

"I didn't hesitate. I lifted my axe I struck him and he fell."

"You were protecting your wife." Robin understood now what had happened and it made sense. This was the Will he knew.

"I was trying to protect my family. But I failed." This was added quietly, the tone not able to mask the guilt that he felt.

Robin quickly realised the importance of what Will had just said and looked over at Djaq for confirmation. The tears in her eyes told him that he was right.

"Yes Robin, I lost the baby I was carrying." She whispered as Will put his arm around her.

Silence followed as this news was absorbed by them all.


	5. Protection

Once again thank you all for the reviews – they are keeping me attached to the keyboard instead of focussed on real life! But hey ho!!!

I hope you enjoy this part.

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Part 05

No-one knew what to say to the couple. The pain that they felt was clear for all to see, and all of them shared it with them. There were no words of comfort to give, just the solace of fellowship and camaraderie that stemmed from the looks on the faces of their friends.

Robin of Locksley eventually broke the silence.

"Why did they kill Bassam?" he asked softly. "What did they gain by that?"

Djaq looked up at him and took a deep breath.

"We do not know why they did what they did. We see no purpose in it. They arrived quietly, there were four of them with the Hol….with Him. At first they appeared friendly, they told Bassam that they were there on behalf of the King and that he wanted to send a message to Saladin. But Bassam was suspicious and told them little. They wanted to know which pigeons were for the Palace and which were for England. When we told them nothing they grew angry. They threatened us and we knew then that King Richard had not sent them at all."

Djaq's eyes grew darker as she recalled the bitter memories of that day.

"One of the soldiers opened all the cages and started wringing the necks of the birds. Bassam tried to stop him and he was murdered in front of me." Tears fell down her cheeks. "I could not stop them, I could not save him. I tried but I was held back and beaten. That was when Will came in, I had never seen him so angry. After the bishop fell, I felt sure then that we would both be killed by the soldiers"

Her expression changed to one of confusion.

"But then one of the soldiers did a very strange thing. He laughed. He looked down at the body and laughed. We were struck and fell, and it was the last thing I heard as darkness took over me." She shuddered. "I hear that laughter in my dreams."

"So were you captured, kidnapped, what?" urged Much.

Will shook his head.

"That's just it. They left us there. We woke up and we were alone, with Bassam."

Will did not go into details of how Djaq had held the body of the kind man who had taken them in as if they were his own. How she had wept at his murder. How she was inconsolable at his loss.

"We were blamed for Bassam's death. Some accused us of murdering him and destroying the birds ourselves, others said that we were spies for the English. Those few who were sympathetic to us told us to run before we were stoned."

Will and Djaq shared a wistful look with each other and he continued.

"So we did, we fled and made our way to see the King to see if he could help us. But we never got there, that night we had to take shelter on the way because Djaq…." He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. "Because Djaq was in pain. We knew then what was happening to her. I couldn't leave her."

He took a deep breath and continued, not wanting to dwell on the pain of that night.

"By the time she was able to travel again, we realised that the King must believe us to be traitors. We could not risk going to the camp. We had no friends, no one we could trust. Djaq's people did not want to help us. Our people were hunting us. We had no choice but to try and get home – get back here to you."

Djaq finished the tale.

"It was a long and arduous journey. We had to hide from the soldiers. Eventually we found passage on a ship bound for Portsmouth, but when we landed the men you saw today were waiting for us. It has taken us many weeks to get here Robin."

Another silence followed as they all pondered on this. John stared into the flames, his expression one of anger and hurt, wondering how much they were not telling of the story, how they had suffered during their journey.

Much took the opportunity to fetch another skin of wine and pass it around. Allan fed the fire and it crackled with gratitude. Robin then moved over to the bereft couple and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. They looked up at him.

"You are home now my friends, you are safe. Whatever happens, know that you are not alone. We will see this through together. Somehow we will convince the King that you are innocent. You have my word."

Djaq smiled with relief, knowing that her instincts were correct and that Robin of Locksley would hear them out and protect them. Will Scarlett however still looked deeply troubled and this did not go unnoticed.

"You have more to tell Will" remarked his insightful leader.

He nodded.

"I have been trying to understand why someone like this Bishop would care about a simple carpenter and his family. If it had all been about getting the birds then why kill them? It makes no sense. It would be better to take them and use them for King Richard."

"Yeah – but they could have just been plain evil – believe me I have seen what the nobility do for entertainment and it ain't pretty" interjected Allan. "No offence Robin".

Robin ignored the comment and maintained eye contact with Will, trying to understand where he was going with this. Will carried on.

"But we believe that King Richard had nothing to do with the Bishop and his men coming to Bassam's house, and what they did there. So they must have wanted to stop the messages and were trying to interrupt the quest for peace."

Robin nodded. "Well the Church wants the Crusades to continue so the Bishop may have been working towards this goal."

Will frowned.

"So when I killed him, why did his men not kill me? I have had many weeks to think about this. The man who laughed, he was a knight."

Robin looked up into the lightening sky as he considered this fact.

"You are thinking he was a Black Knight – one of the Sheriff's men."

Will shrugged. "I don't know what to think to be honest. But its possible. They could have captured us many times over, but they haven't. Today was the closest they got, but then you arrived."

Much was really struggling now.

"So what are you saying?"

"Maybe we made it here because they let it happen. They wanted us to get here - to you - Robin."

The six people at the camp were beginning to get used to the silences that followed such dramatic statements.


	6. Legacy of the Past

Part 06

Part 06

John Little could take no more. A man of deeds rather than words, he decided then and there that he needed to show this young couple how he felt. He stood and walked over to them, just as Robin had done, and gathered both of them into a fierce embrace.

"Whoever did this, will pay!" he snarled through his teeth. Then his features relaxed as he felt both of them return the hold just as tightly, clinging on to him with the same urgency. The relief emanating from them was so strong that it was almost tangible.

Allan a Dale had been unusually quiet while he listened in horror to Will and Djaq's story. He could not bring himself to voice the feelings that were running through him at that moment. His initial delight at seeing Djaq, and then rescuing Will had stemmed from the hope that they could recapture the spirit of the old gang. Of all of them, although he would never admit it, he had missed Will and Djaq the most. They had been close, well before his spell with Gisbourne, but lets brush over that. At seeing them today (actually yesterday) he thought that he had his mates back and with them came the chance for things to return to how it had been before between them.

That joy had quickly been doused with the sadness of what they had gone through. He found himself at a loss. What could he do or say to his friends that would make them feel better? He wanted desperately to go over to them like John had done and gather them up in his arms. That's what you were supposed to do wasn't it? Console your friends in times of loss. He remembered the simple things that they had done for him when Tom had died. Djaq had spoken words of comfort, Will had expressed his sympathy simply with a hand on his shoulder. Those small gestures had made an impact on him at the time, and they meant a great deal to him still.

But there had been so much water under the bridge since then. They had not been able to re-build their friendship in the time between him coming back to the gang and them staying behind in the Holy Land. Not to the same extent as it was anyway. And so much had happened to all of them in the year they had been apart. After all Will and Djaq weren't the only ones with tales to tell. It was all going to take time.

Allan looked over at the figures of John, Will and Djaq who were now huddled into a close group, talking quietly. John had suffered his own heartache not so long ago when he had last seen Alice. He glanced to his right and observed Much watching them, quite clearly in the same position as him, wanting to join in but not feeling able to. No wonder, Much had the world on his shoulders at the moment. No one looked out for Robin more than him, and no-one took him for granted more than Robin.

As for Robin, he had been just plain difficult to deal with. Oh they still got up to their usual antics, they still robbed the rich and gave to the poor. They went out of their way to irritate the Sheriff as much as possible, just like before. But there was a hard edge to Robin now, a bitterness that could not be softened. A revenge that had not yet been tasted. And this was evident in the way that he would disappear without warning for days on end, his lack of communication with them about what he was thinking, his short temper. Allan suspected that he had been searching.

No-one had seen Guy of Gisbourne since they got back from the Holy Lands.

He for one had been relieved – he did not want ever to face that particular encounter and dreaded the inevitability of it.

Right now he, like all of them, was trying to tie all the loose ends together. And it just wasn't working. He didn't like the implications of what Will had said at the end and what it would mean to them all.

"Not being funny, but its all a bit far fetched don't you think?" he declared. "I mean" he continued uncomfortably at the glares of the others "you're saying that all of this, everything that happened to you, Bassam dying and that, is all part of a plot to get at Robin."

"Well when you put it like that, yes it sounds pretty unlikely, don't you think?" Much agreed nervously, looking at Robin expectantly, hoping for him to agree.

Robin remained silent, mulling over the entire tale. He admitted to himself that it was improbable, but then again, that tiny inch of truth was screaming at him for attention.

Eventually he voiced his thoughts aloud.

"Lets think about this. By killing the birds they stop communications between us and the King. They declare that Will is a murderer, and worse he killed a man of the church. With Bassam dead, Will and Djaq now have no allies in Acre and have no choice but to return to me. They know I will listen to you, and so this could drive a wedge of suspicion between me and the King. Especially as we now have no means of communicating with him quickly."

He looked up at them all, his eyes clear.

"If the King does not trust me because he thinks I have traitors in my gang, how can I continue his work in his name? Yes, this is most likely the work of the Black Knights and probably the Sheriff. They have used you as pawns in a cruel game my friends. This stops now!"

Much shook his head.

"What can we do?" he said incredulously.

Robin turned to Will.

"We have to find proof of what you have told us Will, something that demonstrates that the Black Knights have been at work. Tomorrow we will go to Nottingham and see what we can learn. I suspect that the men chasing you will have gone there and we will find what we are looking for. Once we get the proof we tell the King"

"But how? We have no pigeons? Who can we get to take a message to the King?" Much was insistent. He was all for helping his friends, but did not want to rush headlong into things without a plan.

"Robin!"

They stopped and turned to look over at Djaq, who had left the circle round the fire and brought over the bag she had carried into the camp so many hours before.

The others noted that it wasn't a normal woollen sack, but a bag made from a fine silk mesh. She reached inside it and brought out a small box, which had tiny holes on each face.

"Will made these boxes" she stated proudly. "They were easier to carry than the baskets and they protect against the cold."

As she opened it and reached in, she continued speaking.

"Not all of the birds suffered the same cruel fate. These were kept apart from the pigeon coops. Here is Lardener's mate – she is called Jemima." The bird fluttered its wings in anticipation then quickly settled onto her hand as she recognised her handler and started pecking for crumbs.

"Well what do you know!" breathed Much, smiling at the cooing bird.

Will reached in to the bag and pulled out another box.

"And in here, is her clutch of three chicks." He smiled as he said this, knowing that this was the ideal haven to breed and train messenger birds, relieved that they had survived the arduous journey and the irregular meals. It had been a risk, but one worth taking.

Djaq looked over at Robin who was grinning broadly and she nodded to him in confirmation.

"Yes Robin, Lardener is with King Richard"


	7. Newcomer

Part 07

The carriage rumbled through the still quiet of Sherwood Forest in early autumn. The sunlight and the orange gold of the leaves gave the wood an atmosphere of cheery calm. The passenger looked through the curtain, savouring the delicious sights and smells that greeted her senses, a welcome change from the stench and gloom of the city where she was raised. Dappled light, calls of the wood pigeon, rustling of woodland creatures, clean pure air. Yes she was going to love this place she was sure.

She glanced around her and noted the soldiers to the front and back of her. One of them scowled at her and she ducked back in, knowing that she had disobeyed a direct order to stay strictly within the confines of the carriage. But it is so boring with nothing to look at but carriage walls and swaying curtains only offering a glimpse of what was outside.

She sat back and closed her eyes, allowing her other senses to enjoy the forest while she day dreamed. Everything had happened so quickly. Her father had been swift to approve the match and before she knew what was happening she was married to a man that she had not even heard of two weeks before. She had expected to be able to choose her own husband, being the fourth daughter, but she understood her duty and had obediently complied.

She was still shy around her new husband. He was handsome, in a dark, brooding sort of way. He was distant but kind. She liked it that way, at least for now while they got to know each other better. In time she felt sure that she would grow to love him and hoped that he would develop affection for her. They would have many children together. She smiled. She loved children. She hoped to bear him a son as strong and as handsome as he is, truly then he would love her.

The carriage came to a halt and she looked out again, curious.

A dark figure rode over to her on a black stallion.

"Do not fear, my Lady. Just a fallen tree. Robin Hood would not dare to attack such a large group."

She smiled and nodded, retreating back to the carriage, noticing while she did so that all the men seemed to be extra vigilant.

Robin Hood! The very name intrigued her. She, like her sisters, had been fascinated by the tales of the infamous noble man who was stripped of his wealth and fought to protect the poor and needy. His gallantry and chivalry was legendary and there was not a maiden in York who did not want to chance an encounter with him. She felt her pulse raise with excitement at the anticipation that maybe he would appear, firing arrows while shimming down tree trunks and performing the acrobatic feats he was so famous for. He would fell the soldiers single-handedly, although not one would be killed. Then he would kiss her hand and relieve her of her wedding ring and she would swoon. She laughed to herself at her childish fantasies.

The carriage moved off again and she sensed the relief from her entourage, which was in direct contrast to her disappointment. Never mind, she told herself, there would be other opportunities she was sure. And perhaps the reality would prove to be all too different from the myth.

Dusk was starting to fall, bringing with it the first signs of autumn chill when they arrived at the village. She noticed curious faces looking at the carriage and then quickly looking down to the ground when they spotted her husband. She frowned at this, they seemed to be fearful of him.

At last the carriage drew to a standstill outside a large house. A scurry of activity greeted her as she stood up and stretched the kinks of the journey out of her body. An elderly man was waiting at the door, his features impassive as her husband helped her to climb down from the carriage.

She looked around eagerly, so this was her new home. It was quite lovely. She smiled up at the face of her husband, and he nodded slightly in return.

"Welcome to Locksley, my Lady. Thornton, this is Lady Gisbourne, see to her needs while I ride to Nottingham to speak to the Sheriff"

She noted that the manservant hid his surprise well, even though his eyes flicked to her briefly.

"Of course Sir Guy, will you be returning this evening?"

Guy of Gisborne climbed back onto the black stallion before replying.

"No, I will stay at the castle tonight and return in the morning. My Lady" he acknowledged and rode off, oblivious to the disappointment registering on the features of his young wife as she watched him disappear round the courtyard.

Thornton regarded her for a moment. She was stunningly beautiful, her hair hung down in golden tresses, her complexion was fair and she had piercing blue eyes which were enhanced by the deep magenta of the gown she was wearing. She was slender and looked like she would shatter in a gust of icy wind. He found himself thinking that she was in complete contrast to poor Lady Marian, who was as dark, strong and spirited as this woman was pale and delicate. He felt sorry for her and hoped that she would survive the marriage to the cruel man who was her husband.

She turned and looked back at the elderly man and did something then that astounded him. She held out her hand and took his in a surprisingly firm grip. Her smile was warm and friendly and she exuded confidence and poise.

"Thornton, my name is Anne and I am pleased to meet you. I hope that we can become friends."

Thornton had a feeling that indeed they would and he found himself smiling back at her.

First impressions can deceive!


	8. Return to Nottingham

Everyone - thanks so much for the reviews they are what keep me going with this story.

This chapter is more about Gisborne but don't worry there will be lots more outlaw interaction coming up in the next chapters!!

Part 08

It had been a year since he had been at Nottingham Castle. A year since they embarked on the fateful trip to the Holy Lands, with Allan in tow. And Marian.

Now he returned without them. And life was …. good, he supposed.

So much had changed since then, since he had – last seen her. Go on admit it to yourself Guy, since you killed her. Yes, he killed her, he had driven the sword through her in anguish. She deserved to die. The depth of her betrayal knew no limits, just like the depth of his bitterness. She had led him a merry dance for years and behind his back had laughed at him with Hood.

Now no-one was laughing. Everyone was bitter, including Hood. Especially Hood and he preferred it that way.

At first the guilt had eaten him up from the inside and he was lost in despair. Vaysey had left him alone for a few days during the voyage home, letting him wallow. Until one day he started whispering in his ear about betrayal, about loyalty, about power and about revenge. And as he whispered he realised that his mentor had been right all along, that women were not to be trusted, that power was everything, and that it would be his if he kept his focus.

Then they made their plans, and this time they hatched a plot that would take months to deliver. Sweet revenge will wait patiently and he would soon reap his reward. He smirked to himself in anticipation while he walked through the corridors of Nottingham Castle.

He had travelled round England, drumming up support for Prince John and against the absent King Richard. In York he had met the one who would action their plan to remove the King. It had been hard work and taken a great deal of negotiation, but now he knew he had him in the palm of his hand, the same hand that had taken the man's precious daughter.

"Aah, Gisborne" the dulcet tones of the Sheriff of Nottingham were instantly recognisable as he entered the Great Hall. "Welcome back. How is Mrs, oh I mean Lady Gisborne?"

It was as if he had never been away. The Sheriff was lounging in his chair with his bare feet on the table, which was laden with food, and he was sipping from a goblet of wine. His lack of reverence was just the same, but Sir Guy of Gisborne did not care any more. His marriage was to seal a business transaction, nothing more, and he felt no compunction to protect her honour in front of the Sheriff or anyone else, no matter who they were.

There were two men sitting at the long table to the left of the Sheriff and they both looked irritated by the Sheriff's remark.

"My Lord, thank-you she is well." He said in response, knowing that the Sheriff's companions would require the reassurance.

The older of the two men spoke.

"I trust she arrived safely at Locksley? There were no incidents in the forest?" his voice was deep and booming, reverberating round the Great Hall. He was a big man, barrel chested and obviously strong.

"None, my Lord. Lady Anne is safe and well I assure you."

"Good, I trust that it will remain that way. The safety and happiness of my daughter is of paramount importance. I did not offer you her hand lightly Gisborne, if I hear of her being mistreated I will withdraw my support to your plans." His great voice brooked no arguments.

The Sheriff of Nottingham feigned shock.

"Mistreat a woman – Sir Guy of Gisborne? Never. He stands before you a paragon of chivalry don't you Gisborne?"

Guy of Gisborne smiled in response.

"You have my word Sir Steven, your daughter will be treated with respect and honour. Just as we agreed." He affirmed.

The younger man then stood up bristling with anger. Smaller and lighter in build, he was as light as his companion was dark. Vaysey was surprised that the two could possibly be related, let alone father and son. He wondered at this and determined to investigate if there were any skeletons in the closet that he could use to his advantage later.

"Make sure that she is Gisborne. Or else you will have me to answer to. I love my sister. I heard things about you and a certain Lady Marian while I was in the Holy Lands. I hope that the rumours that I heard were untrue. I have done my part in your plan, now the rest is up to you."

Sir Steven of York raised his hand to placate his son.

"Peace Joseph. Sir Guy has given his word – that is good enough for me." Steven of York then looked meaningfully at Guy of Gisborne, who smiled and nodded in response, completely ignoring the outburst from the younger man.

Vaysey looked on with approval, oh yes Guy was playing his part well.

He clapped his hands together and rubbed them eagerly.

"So! Sir Steven, your men have reported that the two outlaws are back with Hood, and that he has taken the bait. So now we have Richard and Hood mistrusting each other. That idiot bishop is out of the way. That was a nice touch getting the peasant boy to actually kill him."

The young knight acknowledged the praise from the Sheriff with a slight nod.

"He got himself killed. I had little part to play there. But it fitted perfectly with the plan to blame the boy for his death."

"What do we do now?" this from his father.

"Do? Nothing. We wait. Hood will not sit back and see his good reputation with the King being destroyed. He will take action and if I was a betting man I would stake my vault that he will turn up here soon and play right into our hands."

His tooth of the day sparkled with a ruby, and it gleamed evilly while he grinned.

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At Locksley Manor, the dining table was a lonely place for the new Lady Anne of Gisborne. She sat staring at the table laden with food that was too much for twenty people let alone one small woman. At her home in York, she would always eat with her sisters and it had always been a lively affair. They had been raised to hate waste, there were too many poor folk in the country who were hungry and they always made sure that their servants were well treated and nourished. Now here she was alone and staring at a mountain of food and there were people in the village that looked hungry.

She decided that this would never do.

She got up and served herself a plate of food, poured a goblet of wine and then made her way to the kitchen.

"Do you mind if I join you?" she asked as she entered.

Thornton and the kitchen maid Margaret jumped up in shock.

"My Lady" he bowed. "Would you not prefer to eat in the hall?"

"I prefer not to eat alone, I am unused to it" she replied and sat down at the kitchen table.

They looked uncomfortable as they stood and watched her. She looked up at them.

"Please, sit and eat your meal" she said. "Join me"

Thornton shrugged and sat down, indicating to Margaret to do the same. She did so hesitantly. This was unheard of!

Anne looked over at their plates.

"Are you only having bread?"

"That is all Sir Guy permits my Lady"

"Really? That seems a shame, there is a feast of pork and venison on the table upstairs. Please there is too much for me and I would not like to see it wasted. You should take it to your families. Or distribute it through the village."

She looked up at the silence that greeted her statement, and noted their shocked expressions.

"Have I said something wrong?"

"My Lady, Sir Guy would not approve" whispered Margaret as if frightened that the very walls could hear and would tell on her.

"Oh."

They returned to their supper in silence.

Then Lady Anne of Gisborne smiled to herself. She looked up with mischief twinkling in her eyes.

"Sir Guy is not here…" she started.

"My Lady you play a dangerous game. If he should find out…." Thornton had found himself liking this young woman and her down to earth nature and he did not want her to come to harm.

"I won't tell him if you won't!" she declared. And she smiled at him as he reluctantly agreed.


	9. A Revelation

Part 09

Much ran through the trees as fast as his legs would go. This was news that he was bursting to tell. He tripped and fell flat on his belly, his hands just reaching out to save his nose crashing into the mud that he slipped on.

He got up, dusted himself down and dashed off again. This could not wait and it was worth the risk of broken limbs as he careened his way towards the hideout.

He burst into the camp, gasping for breath. All occupants turned and looked at him in surprise. He stood panting, trying to speak, while pointing back at the way he had come from.

"Rob'n. News. Locksley" he managed to splurt.

Robin regarded Much expectantly. His instincts told him that this was important.

Much looked at his master as his breathing slowly returned to normal. A thought seemed to occur to him all of a sudden as he opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, looking very much like a fish out of water.

"Spit it out man!" grumped Little John in exasperation.

All of a sudden Much felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny of his comrades, all five of them now staring at him with a mix of amusement and bemusement. He was vaguely aware of Little John snorting at him in frustration, of Allan raising his eyebrows and smirking in that annoying way of his, of Djaq's penetrating gaze as she looked at him with those intelligent eyes of hers, and of the typically silent brooding stare of Will Scarlett.

But he only had eyes for his Master as he formulated what he was about to say. Realising suddenly what the impact of his words might be.

He took a deep breath and raised his finger.

"Promise me that you will not jump off the deep end when I tell you this" he implored Robin of Locksley, the rightful Earl of Huntingdon.

Robin rolled his eyes and shook his head, flashing one of his now rare boyish smiles.

"Much! Just tell me.."

"Promise or I won't tell you a thing." he huffed and sat down by the fire and folded his arms across his chest.

Robin knew how to handle him and feeling somewhat amused, sat down beside his loyal friend and servant. He could cajole it out of him; order him to tell; wait to be told, play the "I don't want to know anyway game" with Much, all would result in the same outcome – Much would tell him the news. But something told Robin Hood that this was news he needed to hear. So he opted for the quickest way and lied. 

"I promise"

"Gisborne's back!" there he said it, closely followed by "you promised not to over react…" but he was talking only to Robin's back as he swiftly turned, grabbed his weapons and sprinted out of the camp, heading towards the village of Locksley.

A moment's silence as the rest of the outlaws absorbed this news. Will and Djaq did not immediately grasp the significance of this statement and looked somewhat bewildered sharing a glance and a shrug of the shoulders.

"What do we do? I thought we were going to Nottingham today" asked Allan a Dale, looking somewhat ashen at the news.

"Where has Gisborne been?" asked Djaq.

"We haven't seen Gisborne since the Holy Lands" offered John.

"Yes and it has been eating my master alive for months" added Much, still staring at the camp entrance in consternation.

"That's all very well, but what do we do?" insisted Allan a Dale, panic edging into his voice.

Little John decided for them.

"We follow Robin and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, that's what." And he grabbed his staff. "Come on."

Allan shook his head.

"There is no way I am going to come face to face with Gisborne if I can help it." His anxiety evident in his voice and features.

"Fine don't come, stay here. Come on." John said to the others and Much and Will made ready to go, gathering cloaks and weapons. 

Djaq stayed where she was, regarding Allan a Dale.

"Djaq?" Will had noticed that she hadn't moved. "Are you coming?"

She shook her head and gestured towards Allan, who was brooding by the fire.

A nod, he understood, and flashed her a smile, which she returned. More often than not they didn't need words to communicate with each other. It was one of the reasons that she loved him so much.

The three outlaws took off at a run after Robin leaving the two others behind.

Djaq went over and sat down beside Allan a Dale, who was hunched over, resting his chin on his hands. For a while she said nothing, offering him simple companionship, something that she suspected he hadn't had for a very long time.

Eventually she spoke.

"You will have to face him sooner or later."

He sat up and looked up at the canopy of trees, noting that the leaves were showing the first signs of autumn's approach. Sighing he looked over at the dark features of Djaq looking at him with concern and nodded his agreement.

"Not yet, I'm not ready." He replied. "It was getting to the point that we didn't expect to see him again. Only Robin kept looking for him, trying to find out where he was, always hunting for him. Now he's back without any warning. If I get caught, he's not going to show me any mercy is he?" He sighed again.

"I don't think that any of us can expect mercy from Gisborne or the Sheriff." She declared. "We face the same dangers as you. You fight for a good cause Allan a Dale, because deep down you are a good man. We do not know what our future holds for us, but is it not more important to decide how we face what is in front of us? That's the only thing that we can truly control."

She patted his arm and got up to tend to Jemima's brood, whilst Allan pondered on what she said.

After a few minutes reflection he laughed to himself.

"What?" she asked.

He looked over to her and grinned.

"I missed you Djaq. You and Will. Its good to have you back." And at that he got up and left the camp, heading in the same direction as the others.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He found them hiding in the shrubs just outside the village of Locksley.

"Good of you to join us" muttered Much, which earned him a punch on the arm from John.

"Have you seen him?"

The only response was a shake of the head from the big man as they all scrutinised the scene in front of them.

There was a bustle of activity in the village which no doubt was a result of the returning master of the house. A trunk was being carried into the manor by two guards, clothes and linens were being washed and horses were being exercised.

There was no sign of Gisborne.

"How do you know Gisborne's back anyway?" asked Allan.

"Thornton told me when I went to get some bread this morning. He wouldn't let me near the manor, saying that it was too dangerous as Gisborne was back."

"What else did Thornton say?" asked Robin

Much shook his head.

"I didn't hang around to find out more. I scarpered back to camp to tell you." He replied.

John and Robin turned and looked at him in exasperation.

"What? I thought it was best…"

"Shh" this from Will as they heard the beating of horses hooves. Presently a black stallion appeared, bearing the tall figure of Guy of Gisborne, who was followed by his private guard.

Robin tensed when he caught sight of his nemesis, his features a mask of controlled rage. He scanned the area, looking for an opportunity to strike. He would finish Gisborne once and for all, he would make sure of it. He would pay for plotting against the King and for murdering Marian.

The waiting men watched as Guy of Gisborne dismounted and walked towards the manor and then stopped to speak with one of the guards.

Thornton was waiting at the door, but he wasn't looking out at Gisborne rather he was facing inside the manor. Presently a woman came out wearing a deep blue dress and approached Gisborne, who turned to her and took her hand, kissing it before they both entered the manor.

"Blimey, Gisborne's landed on his feet hasn't he?" Allan a Dale had not failed to notice her beauty even from that distance. 

"Who was that?" breathed Much, looking over at Robin.

Robin said nothing, the seeds of a plan to ruin Gisborne totally sowing in his mind.

Eventually he made a move.

"Come on lads, lets get back to camp, fetch Djaq and proceed to Nottingham. We have some work to do,"

And they left as they had arrived, silently and unnoticed.


	10. We go to Nottingham

Part 10

Part 10

Nottingham was bustling today Robin noted. There was a press of people who had arrived for the market, those to trade, others to beg, some to steal, and not necessarily in the right proportions.

The castle appeared busy too, more guards than normal were guarding the castellation, double the soldiers at the gates. Quite clearly something was going on. But what?

They had swiftly picked up Djaq, extra weapons and supplies at the camp and made their way to the great city. Almost as an afterthought Robin had grabbed some purses of coins to distribute to the poor, no point in losing an opportunity to help the hungry – especially on market day! Then they had lain in wait at the gates, watching the incoming carts being examined by the Sheriff's soldiers

He looked round at his gang. His gang! They were all back together again. And despite the circumstances he could not help but feel elated that the team was whole again – well almost – someone very important was missing, leaving a gap that could never be filled. A year on and the pain was still as sharp as if the wound had been inflicted yesterday.

Five pairs of eyes regarded him, awaiting instructions. This was Robin's game plan. Still, Allan knew what was coming.

"Allan, we need to know what is happening in the castle"

"Righto" he said, forcing a cheerfulness that he didn't feel, and made his way towards the city gates. If anyone could get in to Nottingham surreptitiously it was Allan a Dale, and he had tumbled enough serving girls during his time with Gisborne that he could find out what was going on. Robin knew this and used it to full effect.

In normal circumstances Allan a Dale did not concern himself about sneaking into the castle, but in the past year, normal circumstances meant no risk of bumping into Guy. Despite what Djaq had said to him, he was still nervous about facing his former master.

Robin then turned to the rest of the group.

"Right split up everyone, keep a low profile and see what you can find out. Remember everything you hear, no matter how insignificant it might seem. It may be important. Djaq, with me. We meet back here at sunset, watch your back and everyone elses"

And without a further word, he cast his hood over his head and strode off towards the city gates at a brisk pace.

Djaq, initially taken aback at being instructed to go with Robin, squeezed Will's arm reassuringly, then took off after him, her shorter gait forcing her to run after Robin until she caught up with him.

Little John and Much then shared a knowing look. They knew what to do and where their places were and also left at a run, heading off in opposite directions. John was making his way towards the back, ready to scale the wall at its lowest point and work his way through the streets of Nottingham to the market square. Much would take a more direct route into the city, tagging on to a tradesman's cart, acting like the servant that he was and pretending to be invisible. This was a tactic that invariably worked for him.

Will Scarlett was left alone in the periphery of Sherwood Forest and wondered how he had managed to come full circle. When all this started, he was the son of a simple carpenter caught up in the atrocities of Gisborne and Vaysey's rule. He and his family were victims in every sense, his mother dead from starvation, his poor father without a hand, he and Luke sentenced to hang for trying to feed themselves.

Then he had been rescued by Robin on that fateful day and his life had changed. He had changed. No longer the victim, he became the protector of the poor, the guardian of the hopeless. He fought for what was right. He was bold, brash and strong, confident in his belief that they would prevail over injustice until the King returned.

Then something unexpected happened. He fell in love with an exotic woman from a far away land. A woman who had courage and strength of will that matched his own. She possessed a wisdom that he could only dream of. He never believed that he could be worthy of her. Then fate had taken them on a journey to her home and they had stayed to make a life together. Free from oppression, from the constant battles and the hardship that was life under the Sheriff of Nottingham.

But their chance at happiness and a peaceful life was shattered with Bassam's murder and the loss of their infant.

It would have been a girl.

Beautiful just like her mother, he thought.

His mind froze, refusing to deal with the pain of that day. He had to be strong for Djaq – she had suffered too much. He shook himself and brought his mind back to the here and now.

Yes – now. And here he was, yet again a victim, yet again relying on rescue from Robin Hood.

He took a deep breath. But it was different this time wasn't it? He was Robin Hood – wasn't he? Just like they were all Robin Hood.

He fingered the tag that hung around his neck and nodded to himself. Right, he was no longer the victim. He was back and he was ready for battle. He scanned the area towards the city and spotted a cart full of hay being probed by the castle guards. He pulled his hood over his head and stepped boldly out, exuding nonchalance. Barely noticed by the guards, who were searching for outlaws in secret places, he entered Nottingham under their very noses and made his way towards the market square, ready to hand out money to the poor who could not afford to trade that day.

He was home!


	11. A Trap is Set

You will find that this is a long chapter - hope you don't get bored in the middle of it (LOL). I thought that if I split it into two it might lose impact.

I have to say thanks again for the kind reviews from people - it means a great deal!

Enjoy!

Part 11

Allan a Dale was in the stables lounging in a pile of hay. He had to admit that he was enjoying himself. Abigail was a pretty one and no mistake. She had a tumble of dark curls, laughing brown eyes and a dusting of freckles on a pert nose. She was spirited and spoke her mind when around the other servants although was wise enough to stay silent around the nobles and dignitaries she served. She thought nothing of helping herself to food and ale and taking it home secreted under her cloak. Their relationship had started when Allan had caught her sneaking out with her stolen wares and she had begged him not to turn her in, claiming that her mother was sick and in need of nourishment and that she was a poor spinster. Allan had recognised a kindred spirit and had laughed at her, knowing full well that no such parent existed and that no one could ever accuse her of being poor and needy. But he had agreed not to tell and from then they had both gotten along well during his time at the castle.

She was not oblivious to his attentions either, although both knew that a lasting relationship would never work.

Still it was fun while it lasted.

"So tell me what is happening in the castle then" he chirped, pulling a stalk of straw out of her hair and smiling at her flushed complexion.

"Don't think I don't know you're game Allan a Dale" she retorted. "You are spying for Robin Hood"

He shrugged. "So what if I am?"

"Typical man!" she snapped and she jumped to her feet, feigning indignance. "Only after one thing or another and its never the right thing!" and she stomped away from him smoothing down her hair.

"Abi!"

He got up and caught her around her waist, drawing her close into an embrace.

"Come on. You know what it is like for me."

She softened as she looked into his twinkling eyes.

"It's as well for you that I do Allan a Dale. Otherwise I would have turned you in months ago. And if my betrothed knew what you were up to he would kill you make no mistake!"

"Yeah but he's not going to know is he?" and he leaned in for a kiss, which she returned, not being able to resist him.

After they separated she decided that she had what she wanted from him and relented.

"The Sheriff has visitors to the castle from York" she said. "Some noble or other who had a son fighting with the king in the Holy Lands by all accounts, he's here too"

And with that she proceeded to tell him all that she knew about the guests at the castle and the unexpected return of Sir Guy of Gisborne.

"Word is that he is married!"

"Who Guy?"

She nodded.

"Aye and she is daughter to the chap from York. So they say anyway."

"Interesting!"

She looked at him, raising her eyebrows.

"Is it?"

He opened his mouth to speak and then stopped when he heard the sound of horses hooves approaching. Both of them rushed to the back of the stable and hid, dreading to be caught in this situation for completely different reasons.

Allan a Dale thought the sound of his heart thudding in his chest must drown out the sound of the horse as he recognised the black stallion.

Guy was here!

Much heaved a frustrated sigh. This was a pointless exercise. How Robin thought that they would find out anything meaningful by wandering aimlessly around the streets of Nottingham was beyond him. If you asked him they should have just let Allan find out what he could in the castle and stayed safely out of the way in the forest. But no-one asked him did they?

Still, he was nothing if not dutiful and if Robin said they had to watch and listen, then that's precisely what he would do.

He ducked out of the way as he spotted two of Guy's soldiers walking in his direction, and did his best to look inconspicuous. Come to mention it there were quite a few soldiers wandering around the city today, he wondered what was going on.

The soldiers paid him no heed and seemed to be deep in conversation as they passed by.

"So how was the family when you saw them in York then?" he heard one ask.

"Complaining as usual," grumbled the other. "Wish Sir Guy hadn't gone there. I'd rather have stayed in London, or Portsmouth, even up at Newcastle than gone there."

Much's ears pricked when he heard that and made to follow them, listening intently.

"You saw the country though didn't you?"

"Yeah, inn stables, camps and forest floors to sleep on, it was great I recommend it" came the sarcastic retort. "Whatever Sir Guy's plan is, it's a big one, and today is a big day from what I hear. I hope its worth it."

The other one nodded.

"What's the plan then, do we have to capture them when we see them?"

"No Guy will give the word and we get them all together."

"Hood's in for it this time."

Much had heard enough. He stood stock still, realising that they were being ensnared into a trap, walking in with eyes wide open. He couldn't wait until sunset – he had to find Robin now!

John Little tended to stand out in a crowd, that was why he normally took the back route into Nottingham and stayed in the shadows, watching the hustle and bustle. He stayed at the back of the market stalls and noticed the increased presence of soldiers, Gisborne's he noted, as well as castle guards. Also guards in livery he had not seen before, they wore blue tabards with a small white rose at the heart. Something was afoot, but they were not doing anything, just milling around.

Suddenly a small entourage appeared, led by a large burly man in fine clothing. Obviously a noble judging by his haughty air and the superior curl of his lip as he picked up items for sale in the market stalls and examined them.

John had his own sneer as he regarded him. Arrogant nobles he did not like. He knew he would have to resist the urge to take him down a peg or two. He sized him up, gauging the man's girth and strength against his own. He might be a challenge.

As the big man passed, John took note of the group who accompanied him. Two guards dressed in the same livery with the white rose. And a younger man also dressed in fine clothes, seemingly taking a great interest in the market stalls, but even from his vantage point John could see that he was nervously glancing around him.

It was clear to John that something was to happen today, but he had no idea what. Whatever it was he was sure that it would be something that he would not like.

Djaq wondered why Robin had wanted her with him. They had wandered around the streets of Nottingham aimlessly for hours, and apart from noticing the increased level of guards and the new uniform of the strangers, they had learned nothing. They had spotted the others now and again. Much looked as frustrated as she felt. John was a dark and glowering figure lurking in the shadows. Will alone looked relaxed. He had been distributing the money to the poor in the market square, and was clearly basking in the glow of gratitude.

She smiled, she could hardly blame him. Helping people made Will happy, and it had been a while since she had seen him look that way.

Robin had hardly said a word to her since they had left the others. As happy as she was to wait for him to speak, she was becoming increasingly agitated with him. She could have been spending her time with Will helping the poor, or keeping Much or John company, or even treading her own path in Nottingham, she knew the city well enough by now. At least she would have felt more useful than following Robin around aimlessly.

As they ducked down an alleyway they stopped short as they spotted four guards walking towards them.

"Quick" Robin turned around and grabbed her, pulling her into a doorway. They huddled together, hoods over their faces, trying to blend into the shadows, certain that they had been spotted.

A sigh of relief escaped as the guards walked past, but Robin did not look pleased. He watched them for a moment shaking his head. Something was not right.

"Robin, why are we here?" Djaq asked.

He turned and looked at her, his expression still thoughtful. She looked at him properly for the first time since she and Will had returned. She took in his troubled eyes with the dark shadows encircling them, and recognised sadness when she saw it. At that moment she knew. Robin had not talked of his loss, he had not mourned Marian properly. Just as she had not talked personally about her own tragedy, not even to Will. Robin needed her to be with him, that was all. She would have to be patient and wait and see what he needed from her. But now she was sure that it was something to do with his soul.

"Do you notice the extra soldiers?" he said.

She nodded.

"I don't like it." He added. "Lets round up the others and get out of here."

Without another word he took off towards the market square, Djaq hot on his heels.

They spotted John first and signalled him with the briefest shake of the head. He nodded and made his way over, his expression grim. Much was seen next, making his way towards them with an anxious look on his face. He had something to say. Will was crouching, talking to an old woman with a smile on his face, holding her hand and no doubt passing some coins so that she could eat that week.

"Master" hissed Much as he approached them. "Master we have to get out of here. It's a trap"

"I don't like this Robin something is going on" John hissed.

Robin nodded in full agreement.

"We need to get Allan and get out of here" he agreed.

It was at that moment that Djaq spotted the young knight who plagued her dreams at night. He was not ten paces away from her and she recognised him immediately despite being dressed in a fine gold tunic and dark trousers instead of the chain mail and red cross of the Crusaders. She gasped and backed away, shaking her head in denial that he would be here, in Nottingham standing so close to her again. This cannot be true, the thought rang through her head over and over.

She turned away and her eyes met with her husband, who looked back at her in alarm. He rushed over to her, hands on her arms.

"Djaq? What is it my love?"

She gestured over her shoulder and he saw what she had seen. His previously smiling features took on a look of cold rage and pure hatred.

"What is he doing here?" he growled through gritted teeth as he drew out his axe, looking like he was ready to attack. John and Robin stood in his way.

"No Will, We have to get out of here – NOW" stated John firmly.

Robin looked at him in confusion and then turned to see what had upset them so much.

"Who are they?" he asked.

"He was the one who killed Bassam." Came the surprisingly quiet response from the young carpenter belying his barely controlled anger.

"He is the one who laughed while we suffered…" whispered Djaq, still clearly in shock. Will turned and put his arm around her shoulders, trying to comfort her.

Robin nodded again. So Will and Djaq had indeed been part of an intricate plan hatched by the Sheriff. They were in danger, they had to leave.

"Right, get out of here and back to camp." He said to the others firmly.

"What about you?" whined Much, he knew where this was going.

"I'll get Allan and see you there."

"What if you need hel-"

Any further debate was interrupted by a fanfare at the castle gates.

Robin closed his eyes as his heart sank. Sheriff Vaysey stood there strutting like a peacock, his false tooth gleaming in the sunlight as he grinned in delight at his careworn subjects. Sir Guy of Gisborne stood tall behind him, arms folded and dressed in his typical black leather.

All eyes turned to the gates to hear the latest edict from the Sheriff.

"People of Nottingham. I will make this brief." He could not help but grin as he made his declaration.

"Robin Hood and his gang of outlaws are in Nottingham today. Has anyone seen him?"

He was greeted with a dejected silence. There were few people who would turn in their only source of income to a sheriff that they despised. None of them were here today and Robin felt a surge of relief as no one pointed him out.

This did not seem to dampen the sheriff's spirits though and this worried Robin. What was he up to?

"Turn yourself in then Hood, you and your gang, if you would be so kind"

At that Guy of Gisborne signalled behind him and in a moment Allan a Dale appeared between two guards, his hands manacled in front of him.

"Or you watch him hang now."

"Damn"

Robin's mind raced furiously, looking for options, alternatives, ways out of this.

He noticed that the crowd that they were in was now surrounded by soldiers.

Much was right – they were caught in a trap. But how and why? Surely all of this elaborate plot that started in the Port of Acre, wasn't simply to catch him and his gang?

He looked over towards the newcomers who had upset Will and Djaq. It was obvious that they were something to do with this. They could be their ticket out of here.

He noticed that the younger, smaller man was closer to them, watching the scene unfold in front of them intently and seized his opportunity. It was a risk, but worth taking. Otherwise they would all die anyway.

He walked up behind the man, pulling out his dagger and grabbed him around the neck.

"Sheriff" he shouted, his voice carrying over towards the castle gates. "Let Allan go! Now!"

"Joseph!" cried out the bellowing voice of the big man as the crowd parted, trying to get away from the inevitable ensuing battle. His way was soon blocked by the equally towering figure of John Little, brandishing his staff menacingly, swiftly backed up by the other three. Djaq having recovered her composure quickly, was focussed and ready for battle.

With the crowd scattered, Robin and Vaysey now had a clear view of each other across the market square, each with their hostages. Guy of Gisborne smirked and rolled his eyes. This was so predictable!

The Sheriff of Nottingham stared blankly at his nemesis for a moment and then burst out laughing.

"Don't be ridiculous Hood. You are surrounded by, let me see, one, two, three, four, five…." And he pointed his finger in a wide arc appearing to count under his breath. "Oh at least one hundred soldiers. You will never get out of here alive"

"Neither will your guest. Let Allan go or he dies"

The Sheriff of Nottingham shrugged and examined his finger nails, frowning when he found that he had damaged a cuticle and started to bite it off.

"Sheriff!!" this time the younger man's companion bellowed across the market square. "Do as he says or I remove my support from your plans! No harm will come to my son do you hear me!!"

The Sheriff's shoulders dropped and his features took on a truculent expression. He shook his head and looked up to the sky, appearing to weigh up his options.

Looking disgusted he gestured to Gisborne to let him go.

"My Lord!" started Sir Guy, clearly not happy with this turn of events, but he stopped at the look from the Sheriff.

Sighing, he nodded to the guard that held Allan and he was released. Allan wasted no time heading off towards his leader, grabbing the young man's sword as he passed him and joining the others who had taken up a defensive circle around Robin.

They knew what to do and before long they had broken through the wall of guards as it parted under orders from Sir Steven of York, who was desperate to protect his son. Much knew where to find horses and they were soon mounted.

"Mark my words Hood, if any harm should come to him, I will personally hunt you like an animal and skin you alive." growled the big man as they left the walls of Nottingham, once again escaping the clutches of the Sheriff.

As they galloped towards the safety of the forest, Robin thought it had all been a bit of an anticlimax.

Something was wrong.

Back at the gates of Nottingham Castle the Sheriff was grinning like a cheshire cat.

"That went well don't you think?" he beamed as he threw his arms around the tall figures of the Knights on either side of him. One looked smug, the other looked pained.

"Sheriff, no harm had better come to my son."

"Trust me. It is not Hood's style."

"He is soft that way" added Gisborne.

"Its not Hood I am worried about." Came the response.

"Its all going to plan my friend, do not worry."

And with that they turned back to the castle, leaving the bemused townsfolk and villagers to disperse and carry on with their business, and the soldiers to return to the castle.


	12. Journey to the Camp

Part 12

Part 12

Joseph was nervous although he did his utmost not to show it. This was all in accordance with the plan. But deep down he knew that he was trusting his wellbeing to the mercy of a man who was famed for his ferocity in The Holy Lands. He also knew that the young carpenter would kill him as quick as look at him for what he had done to his family. He only had the Sheriff of Nottingham's word that he would not be killed.

He did not trust the Sheriff of Nottingham one little bit.

He knew that his best strategy for now was to keep his head low and his tongue firmly in check.

For now at least.

He was listening too as he rode with his hands tied and the big man was leading his horse. They had stopped in the depths of the forest when they realised there was no pursuit and he had been blindfolded before they proceeded at a slow walk. One of the men was recounting how he had been caught by Gisborne while he had been wenching in the stables.

"I had to show myself Robin, or Abi would have been in mortal danger"

Allan a Dale was relating his encounter with Gisborne from his own point of view. The reality had been somewhat different….but then Allan a Dale knew how to be economical with the truth.

He neglected to tell them about how he had hidden with Abigail in the far corner of the stables, trying desperately not to breathe in case he was heard.

He didn't mention about how surprised he was that the formidable Sir Guy of Gisborne, official Lord of Locksley, a man of wealth and power who struck fear into the hearts of men, decided that today of all days, would stable his own horse.

After all, the Guy that he knew would never do such a menial task.

Nor did he raise the point that the lovely Abigail thought nothing of betraying him for a few coins. But then in her position, would he have acted any differently? He certainly didn't blame Abigail. In fact he was quite impressed at her guile.

But Robin and the others did not need to know that he, Allan a Dale, the con man's con man, had been well and truly outwitted. By a woman.

A woman who hid in the corner of the stable with him, looking frightened until the tall figure in black eventually spoke.

"You can come out now Allan"

No anger, no animosity, no apparent feeling whatsoever.

Pretty Abigail then threw him a baleful look and got up and walked out of the stables, briefly curtseying to Sir Guy on the way past, who in return ignored her and continued looking towards his hiding place.

Allan did not know if he was more disappointed in Abigail's treachery or in the lack of apparent emotion in Guy's voice. Stupid really, he should have felt relieved. Yet it irked him.

He had agonised over meeting Guy again and here Guy did not seem to care.

Now that hurt.

He had sighed, then and stood up and faced him. Looked him right in the eye, waiting for….something.

But Guy just looked at him, arms folded, no expression.

Alright so Guy won the staring competition this time.

"What's the matter Allan? Feeling betrayed? Let down by someone you thought was a friend?"

A-ha! Allan raised his head and looked back at his former master.

It was said quietly, with little emotion, but those few words told Allan that Guy had indeed been hurt when he had left him in favour of Robin. He felt a twisted satisfaction at that.

He mattered, that was good.

But Guy could hurt him, and that was bad.

Still, the realisation helped him find his own voice.

"You would know how that feels I suppose."

Guy of Gisborne merely smirked arrogantly at him and turned to the entrance.

"Bring him" he called and walked out.

The guards came in then and he thought he was done for this time. But no, he was rescued by the whole gang and had escaped the hangman's noose again.

He started to tell Robin about his dalliance with Abigail, just to show that he had achieved something in the castle, but Robin's glance at the stranger and shake of the head told him to wait.

Alright, his news could wait for now.

Looking around the group, Allan realised that perhaps he wasn't the only one with a story to tell of the days adventures.

They rode on towards the camp in silence, each lost in their own thoughts for now.

Will's thoughts were in turmoil. He felt trapped between the need to protect his wife, the drive to exact his revenge on their captive, and his own conscience which pricked at him relentlessly. And this anger that he felt deep within him, was, if he was being honest, mostly directed at himself for allowing this to happen to them in the first place.

Will Scarlett felt responsible for what had happened to Bassam and to Djaq. To him, the young noble that they had captured only served as a reminder of his failure to protect his family, of his own inadequacy.

He wanted to hurt him, just as he had hurt them.

But he was a better person than that wasn't he?

Will did not know the answer to that and he rode along in silence, focussing on the path ahead, not daring to look anyone in the eye.

He felt Djaq's eyes staring at him as she rode behind him.

She needed him to be strong for her, to stand up for her. He swallowed down the swathe of guilt that washed through him. He would do what he had to do – for her. In his anguish Will had forgotten that the Djaq that he had fallen in love with, was perfectly capable of fighting her own battles.

Djaq's thoughts were equally tumultuous.

The initial shock of seeing that man so close to her had passed and now her logical mind had taken over and rationalised what they were doing. They could now find out more about what the Sheriff and Gisborne were planning from this man. Man! He was barely a boy. Looking over at him she noticed that he was trying not to look scared. She smiled a little at this.

Good!

He deserves to feel what it is like to be uncertain of your fate. To know how she felt on that fateful day. How both she and Will had suffered.

She found herself staring at the back of her husband, who was sitting ramrod straight on his horse.

She sighed. She wished she knew what Will was thinking. The events of the past months had changed him. He had withdrawn even from her. Occasionally there would be the spark of life in his eyes that she remembered from a year ago, the fire and passion that had been the catalyst for her falling in love with him. But mostly he looked haunted and lost. He carried the burden of responsibility so needlessly and she wished that he didn't. He was bitterly angry! But knowing the man that she knew so well, she suspected that his anger was fixed inwards towards himself, rather than where it should be.

More now than ever, Djaq understood why the Sheriff and Gisborne where creatures to be hated.

Now they had one of their pawns in their midst, just as she and Will were simple players in the control of other masters. And that meant that Will had a focus for his hostility.

She could only hope that he did not do anything irrational in a misguided defence of her honour. She did not want that. She did not want revenge. She just wanted her Will back. Only then would she truly be able to heal.

If today's events had taught her anything, it was that she and Will needed to sit and talk.

And she knew also that Will Scarlett would rather face one hundred Gisbornes than talk.

Little John did not like what they were doing. Something did not sit right with this whole affair. They had escaped too easily, the lads father did not look like someone who would give up without a battle. He had a feeling he would be seeing him again and soon.

John resolved to be ready for when he did.

And he also knew that he would have to keep Will away from his captive.

This he did not like!

Much was hungry and was planning the evening meal. He supposed that they would have an extra mouth to feed. Well someone has to think of these things.

Robin's thoughts were of the black clad figure that stood at the side of the sneering Sheriff. Hatred coursed through every vein in his body. His bitterness had not abated with time.

Death was not enough for Gisborne. He would make him suffer for what he did. He would take everything from him piece by piece, just like Gisborne had done to him.

He had to shake those feelings off as they drew near the camp. He had to look out for his people too he realised. All of them had suffered in one way or another at the hands of the evil Sheriff and his lieutenant, particularly Will and Djaq. They needed leadership and guidance. They needed to know what it had all been for. And they needed to convince the King that they were still loyal to him.

Robin of Locksley was not a stupid man. He knew that their young captive was a plant; the escape from Nottingham was just too easy. But how could he use that to his advantage?

And then all of a sudden the seeds of a plan took root in his mind. And he grinned as it took shape and blossomed.


	13. Inner Turmoil

Part 13

Part 13

As Robin and his men arrived at the camp, the late afternoon sun cast a rosy light through the russet brown canopy of the autumn leaves. They entered their secret hideaway and tied their captive to a tree, his eyes still blanketed by Much's scarf.

Joseph wondered if now would be a good time to speak.

"Are you going to leave me like this forever?"

"Shut up!" and a swift kick to his legs. Sore, but not intended to injure. But he got the message. Now was definitely not a good time to speak.

After ensuring that their captive was secure, John joined the group who had all congregated around Robin out of his earshot. He noted that Will did not keep his eyes off their prisoner and wondered what was going through the young man's mind.

Allan then told of what he had heard from Abigail about their prisoner and his relationship with Guy of Gisborne.

Robin looked sharply over to the figure languishing against the tree trunk and then turned back to Allan.

"She is Gisborne's wife? And he is her brother?" he hissed astonished at this revelation.

At Allan's nod, he smiled triumphantly. Oh yes, this was sweeter than he could possibly have imagined. Allan grinned back, pleased that he had delivered some useful information and went to get himself a drink of water.

"What are they up to I wonder?" mused Robin aloud.

"So what do we do with him?" asked Much. "I mean, we can't keep him like that forever can we?" he looked around them all "Can we?"

"I know what I'd like to do to him"

They all looked over at the glowering figure of Will Scarlett. Djaq in particular looked troubled and placed a soothing arm on his chest. John and Much exchanged concerned glances.

"Will, we cannot harm this man." She said.

"How can you say that Djaq? Look at what he did to you..to Bassam!" Will did not mean to sound as angry as he felt.

"Yes, but we need him to tell us what the Sheriff and Gisborne are planning." She urged.

"I don't care ab-" he started, his frustration written clearly on his features.

"Will, Djaq is right." Robin moved over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We will use and manipulate him to get what we need, just as he has used and manipulated you."

Will did not look pleased, but said nothing. He continued to stare at the prisoner, folding his arms and fuming.

"How?" John Little wasted little time with words.

"I have a plan…" started Robin

"Rider!" Allan had heard the thud of horses hooves and hissed out a warning.

Robin grabbed his bow and scurried out, closely followed by Much and Allan. Djaq made to follow them until she noticed that Will had not moved, and was still staring at their prisoner with an indescribable look on his face.

She had seen that look before.

On the day that Will's father had been murdered.

Her heart sank as her worst fears were realised. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Little John look at her reassuringly.

"Will, go with Robin" he ordered, and walked over to him and placed a hand on his back.

"Now!" and shoved him towards the door.

At first Will resisted him, his irrational emotions getting the better of him. At John's shove he felt rage boil up inside of him and he turned on his friend.

"Get out of my way John" he said the words coldly, in contrast to the fire that was burning brightly in his soul. All of the agony, the hardship, the fear, the loss was rolled up into the core of his being and it needed a release.

"Will. Not now!" shouted John and he placed his big hands on the young man's shoulders and looked directly into his eyes. "You'll regret it lad. Go with Robin. Get away from here, from him."

"Regret killing him? It would be the best thing I ever did. He doesn't deserve to live"

"Not like this Will! This is not you. You do not kill in cold blood. Leave here and don't come back until you calm down."

"Will"

Only her voice could stop him.

He turned and looked at her. Her brown eyes were wide open, her brow was furrowed with anxiety. She shook her head slowly.

"No. He is not worth it."

The look that passed between them lasted less than a second, but every hurt that they had endured was exchanged between them in that instant. He did not understand her. Surely this was the man who haunted her dreams. He wanted him gone so that Djaq could begin to rebuild her life. He wanted to absolve himself from not being able to defend her – make amends somehow. For the first time that he could remember, he felt his anger aimed towards Djaq.

He had to get out of here.

Awash with conflicting emotions, he threw one more black look at the man tied to the tree and then took off at a run.

While Little John and Djaq shared a worried glance, they failed to notice the smile that played on the masked face behind them.

Lady Anne of Gisborne finally admitted to herself that she was well and truly lost. She had decided that she had had enough of riding through the forest and turned her horse back towards Locksley. Except now she did not know which way Locksley lay. She knew she had been foolish. She had questioned her wisdom even as she instructed Thornton to prepare a horse for her. The little voice inside her head told her to take heed of his warnings, to at least take a guard with her, to show her the way home.

But Lady Anne of Gisborne was stubborn. And she had craved solitude. She wanted to be away from her husbands home, which served as a constant reminder that she was not wanted. Certainly not by Guy, she knew that now. Her hope that he would spend time with her once they arrived here was dashed when the little time that he spent there was not in her company. A fools hope.

Truth be told she felt like an intruder, like Locksley Manor belonged to someone else altogether. Not Guy and certainly not her.

The villagers stared at her warily as she rode by. Although a few bowed and curtseyed to her with a smile, obviously benefactors of her generosity. She noted that many of them were thin and their clothes were poor in quality.

She had never seen anyone smile at Guy.

She had ridden her chesnut mare through the leafy forest, relishing the peace and quiet and the chance to think about her situation. Why would Guy seek to marry her if she was not wanted? She knew the answer, but her heart wanted to deny it. Her rational head made her face the truth as she rode past the ancient trees.

She was the binding seal of a business arrangement between Guy and her father!

As the bare faced reality struck her, she took off at a gallop, tears pricking her eyes and blurring her vision. She felt betrayed by her father, a man who had always sworn to love and protect her. He had married her off to someone who did not even want a wife, he had given her away and kissed her at the altar. He had stood proudly as she repeated her vows to love honour and obey. All in the name of duty.

Obedience. That was her duty.

She rode on, devastated by the unfairness of her situation. Yet a little voice inside her reminded her that she was nobility and some maidens were worse off than her. At least Guy had been kind to her so far.

As rational thought took precedence she slowed her mount to a trot and she wiped the tears from her eyes. Giving herself a mental shake.

Yes, her duty she would perform. She may not be loved by her husband, but their marriage had taken place before God and was binding. If she could not fulfil her wifely duties, she would find fulfilment elsewhere. As Lady Gisborne of Locksley Manor, she had a duty to care for the welfare of villagers of Locksley, something that her new husband had clearly neglected up until now.

Then, feeling calm once more she had decided to head for home. Only she suddenly realised that she did not know where home was.

She slowed to a walk as she tried to get her bearings when suddenly her horse reared as a figure ran in front of her and stopped, grabbing the reins.

She did her utmost to hide her shock that she would be caught by outlaws, and berated herself that she had taken no heed of her husbands advice to stay away from the forest. "Guy will be angry" was the thought that fleeted through her subconscious mind while he conscious mind took stock of the figure that stood in front of her, regarding her with an arrogant air.

He was quite handsome in a roguish way. His clothes were dirty and his beard unkempt. Undoubtedly his hair would be equally untidy if she could see it, masked under the hood that he wore. He carried a curiously shaped bow and a quiver of arrows on his back.

It was his eyes that struck her though. She had never seen a green like it, and the pools spoke of depths of passion tempered by a deep and lasting sorrow. She knew that there was more to this individual than the robber that she saw, but she chose to treat him as just that.

"Get out of my way" she snapped, hoping that she sounded brash and confident although to her ears she sounded scared and lost.

The man grinned at her.

"I can't do that My Lady! What would Sir Guy say if he knew that I let his beautiful bride find her own way home unescorted," he replied condescendingly. "You should be more careful, there are outlaws in these parts you know. A fair maid like yourself would be easy pickings for robbers, wouldn't you say lads?"

She looked around in horror as two more emerged from the shrubs. One had a beard of sorts, and had a jack-the-lad air about him, manifested by his cocky smirk. The other one looked more serious, despite the ridiculous looking hat that he wore on his head. Her heart leapt as another jumped out, tall and thin, with solemn features. He looked like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. They were all dirty, yet they had a presence about them that she could not explain.

She turned back to the outlaw that held her horse.

"Do not underestimate me my friend. You would be wise to let me go or else my husband will see you hanged if you harm me."

She felt sure that he could hear her heart pounding as she did her utmost to appear unconcerned.

Robin was impressed with how composed she was as he regarded her. There was no doubt that she was stunningly beautiful, despite her face being streaked by dried tears. Even seated on her horse he could tell that she was tall, and she had a poise about her that belied someone so young. Yes Guy of Gisborne had chosen his new bride well.

Perhaps too well.

"Your husband has tried many times to catch us my Lady, he hasn't succeeded yet!" there was that grin again. She could not help but notice that he had perfect teeth, which was a wonder in itself.

"Came close a couple of times though" this came from the cocky one, resulting in a pained look from the one in the hat. The others ignored him.

Realisation dawned on her.

"You are Robin Hood" she said, trying to repress the surge of excitement that coursed through her veins.

He bowed mockingly before her.

"At your service my lady. And these are some of my men." His grin faded as he continued. "We mean you no harm, but you should know this. Your husband stole my house, my lands, terrorised my villagers and murdered my wife."

She thought that there was no answer to that. Her heart beat wildly as she wondered what he could do to her in the name of revenge against her husband. She knew that she should feel terrified, but instead she felt exhilarated. This was the adventure that she craved, even though it might end up badly for her. In her wildest dreams she had imagined being accosted by the infamous Robin Hood and here it was happening to her.

What could she say?

"You are smaller than I expected"


	14. Rage

I appreciate I have not posted in a while – but that is because Andrea has me busy with Cold Redemption, I am trying to work out my Allan fic and real life tends to get in the way!!

But I just wanted to give a huge thank-you to the wonderful reviews I have received for this so far. I must admit I am really enjoying working on this one – and hope that you all continue to get pleasure out of it!

Enjoy!

Part 14

Robin of Locksley was feeling mightily pleased with himself as he returned to the camp. He was almost whistling with a pleasure that he had not allowed himself to feel for over a year. He had spent the past hour in the company of a beautiful and intelligent young woman, and had done his utmost to charm her as he led her towards the village of Locksley. She had done her best to act aloof and unimpressed, but he could tell that she had spirit and suspected that beneath the outwardly cool appearance there beat a heart that craved romance and adventure. He doubted that Gisborne fulfilled those desires and found himself wondering if he could.

There was little doubting his ulterior motives. This was a step towards achieving the revenge that his heart craved, justice for his poor lovely Marian. Stealing Gisborne's wife would be sweetness in itself.

He had planted seeds of doubt in her about her position and her husbands integrity, but even though she had openly ignored his statements, something about the way she had looked at him told him that she knew he was right.

He had nothing against Anne of Gisborne. Far from it, he saw her as a pawn as much as Will and Djaq were. But he had little choice but to use her as a weapon against the very people who had started the game if he was to achieve his goal. She was a victim of circumstance. Born into a family of players and married off to one of the biggest players of them all.

He would just have to ensure that she did not get hurt along the way.

He wondered why he cared. He hardly even knew the woman. Yet some instinct held deep within him knew that she would not reveal that they had met that day. It was something about the excitement in her eyes, the way she had looked at him, her wit. She was different from most noble woman he had met.

Like Marian….but then again as different from her as chalk was to cheese.

He chided himself for even considering making a comparison between the two. Driving thoughts of the Lady Anne from his mind, he concentrated on formulating his plan to discover and foil the Sheriff's plot and to bring down Gisborne in the process.

As he drew near to the camp he heard raised voices. Picking up speed he saw Much at the doorway to the camp, looking out anxiously for him.

"Trouble!" was all he said as Robin swept by him and observed the unfolding scene in front of him.

Will Scarlett was hovering over the sitting form of Joseph of York, fists clenched and lips curled into an uncharacteristic snarl. In spite of the blindfold, the young captive was looking up towards him, speaking words of poison.

John and Allan were watching beside Djaq, who looked like she was in shock, shaking her head in denial at what was going on.

"You are weak. You do as your woman tells you to do. You stay in the Holy Lands to be with her. She is a woman, worse she is a filthy Godless Saracen woman, and yet you let her control you. What kind of man ar--oof!"

His tirade was stopped as Will lifted him off the ground, tore his blindfold off and punched him in the jaw. As he fell sprawling, Will dragged him up again and pushed him against the oak tree he had been tied to, placing his hands around his throat. But by this time John and Allan were there, desperately trying to drag him off the man.

"Will, no!"

"Come on lad, he's doing it on purpose. Don't let him rile you!"

Robin and Much rushed over and grabbed hold of their prisoner and hauled him out of reach of the livid young carpenter.

"I'll kill him, Let me kill him!" was all he could say, his eyes apoplectic, breath coming in gasps as he struggled out of John and Allan's grip. All the while staring at the laughing features of Joseph of York, reliving once again the terrible day when Bassam had been murdered.

They knew that to say anything was useless, so they hauled him away towards the entrance of the camp. John eventually had him in an arm lock, while Allan placed his hands on his shoulders and blocked his view of the still laughing prisoner.

"Look at me Will. Look at me – not him"

Eventually he complied and looked into the eyes of the trickster, something he had not done in years.

"Don't do this to yourself! He ain't worth it. None of 'em are! Believe me I know."

Djaq had watched the events in dumb silence. She had removed herself emotionally from any impact caused by the venom spouting from the mouth of the young noble. He had already done the worst thing to her, and name calling from a man she had no respect for would have little effect on her self esteem. However, she could not believe what her eyes were telling her when Will had lost all control and attacked him.

A small part of her told her that he was defending her honour and that she should be proud of him. However most of her doubted that. In all likelihood, he was defending his own honour, his territory, his self perceived inability to protect his family. He was acting under the delusion that it was all for her.

She was still staring at the oak tree when she suddenly realised that the two had been separated. She turned to the doorway and saw her husband in the grip of John and Allan. John was holding him firmly while Allan was speaking to him in hushed tones, evidently trying to calm him down. Swivelling round to the oak tree she observed Much and Robin tying him securely, they were saying nothing but Robin's glance towards her told her that she had to take Will in hand. Sort him out he seemed to say to her.

She turned again and walked towards the trio.

"You have to calm down. You want Robin to throw you out eh?" Allan was still talking to Will in a soothing tone. John still held him in a tight grip and he watched her approach with his eyebrows raised. Should he let him go? She shook her head no.

Allan stepped aside as the stood in front of her husband, the man she loved most in all the world. His eyes were still aflame with fire and she realised that despite Allan's best efforts, such as they were, he had not succeeded in calming him down.

She did only what any good wife would do in these circumstances. She lifted her arm, pulled back her fist and punched him squarely in the jaw. Then she stood and stared at him for endless seconds, equally as shocked at her own actions as she was at his. She shook her head in disbelief.

"I do not know you" she said quietly almost as if to herself and then she walked past them and out of the camp.

At that John let go and Will collapsed in a heap. Her reach was too short to have done him any injury, but the act itself and her words brought him crashing down to earth. He slumped on the ground, staring at the forest floor, feeling numb. What had just happened?

Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Get after her lad. Don't waste time."

He looked up at the concerned face of John Little, then round at Allan, who looked hurt and embarrassed for him. Shrugging his shoulders in sympathy, Allan gestured his head in the direction that Djaq had taken.

Will Scarlett did his best to preserve what remnant of dignity he had left, as he stood up, took a deep calming breath and left the camp in pursuit of his wife.

The remaining four members of the gang congregated out of earshot of the prisoner.

Robin's raised eyebrows asked the question for him.

Allan scratched his chin thoughtfully and replied.

"It was so sudden. We came back to camp, Much started cooking, Djaq and Will were talking and then bam he starts mouthing off at them. Stupid if you ask me."

"He did it deliberately to anger Will" added John. "Started talking about Bassam, and Saracen women – I nearly killed him myself!" he muttered finally.

"What do we do?" asked Much indignantly. "We can't keep this up, sooner or later he is going to end up dead and I won't be the one to stand in Wills way. You've seen him when he really gets angry! Its always the quiet ones!"

Robin looked over towards the oak tree. They had blindfolded him again and warned him to shut up. But he felt sure that he would make another attempt to rile Will into retaliating. There was something about him that belied his cock sure and arrogant facade. He seemed to think that he was needed for the information that he had. That he would be protected, that they would allow no harm to come to him, but it was a front. That gave Robin an idea.

He turned back to the others with a satisfied grin on his face.

"Lads I have a plan! But we will need Will and Djaq."

John frowned, questioning the wisdom of where this was going.

"This I do not like!"


	15. Spirit of Sherwood

Part 15

Part 15

Anne had been relieved beyond measure that her husband had not returned from Nottingham when she eventually made it back to Locksley. She did not want to have to explain herself to him, because that would mean lying. She wasn't a very good liar. Joseph always caught her out when she was a child and still teased her about it to this day. Joseph! How she missed him. But he was fighting alongside King Richard in the Holy Lands and had missed her wedding. He was her confidante, and her champion! She wished he were here right now. He would know what to do.

To tell the truth would mean that Guy would be angry and that was something that she did not want to deal with. Especially since she suspected that he would be more annoyed at her for putting herself in a position where she could encounter Robin Hood than at the outlaw's audacity in guiding her back home.

As she washed and changed her clothes for supper, her mind wandered back to Sherwood Forest and eyes as green as emeralds. Her instinctive reaction towards the outlaw had shaken her and she had struggled to conceal the excitement he instilled in her. Besides, she guiltily admitted to herself, her inner thoughts should be of her dark and handsome husband, not this scruffy rogue who no doubt had dubious intentions towards her. Flattered she may be by his attentions, but she was under no delusions about why he had been so chivalrous towards her. He hated Guy and he wanted his revenge. He was an outlaw, a thief, a murderer. His actions disrupted the war effort as he continually robbed the taxes and good honest hard working citizens as they passed through Sherwood. She knew it was true because her father and brother had told her. Even Guy had hinted at it during one of their rare conversations.

Yet Robin Hood's words came back to haunt her and as she pondered over them she found herself denying that he could be capable of the crimes they accused him of. The peasants here seemed to be particularly poor, and it was clear that they feared Guy. Although no-one had dared to mention it, she suspected that Robin as Lord of Locksley had been loved and respected by the villagers which was in contrast to the animosity that was barely held in check around Guy.

She sighed. She would probably never see him again. Forcing herself to dismiss all notion of Robin Hood from her thoughts, she prepared herself to look her best in the hope that Guy would return and pay her some notice.

-o0o-

"You know that I think you are insane, don't you?"

Robin grinned at Much.

"Trust me – it will work"

"He will never agree." John was shaking his head, for once agreeing with Much.

"Well we will just have to persuade him that it is the best thing to do in the long run." Robin sounded more confident than he felt, but knew that they needed to extract information from their languishing prisoner, and this was the only way he could think of to do it quickly.

"You think he will have calmed down enough to pull this off?" this came from Allan a Dale, who appeared to have more confidence in the plan than the others.

"Let's hope that Djaq has worked her magic on him." Robin replied.

"Djaq has her own demons to fight. Will is not helping her," said John, resulting in a nod from Much.

"Nah John. They'll be alright. Wait and see!"

Robin nodded to show his agreement with Allan, hoping deep down that he was right and that recent events hadn't irreparably damaged the young couple's relationship with each other. The ramifications of that were too disturbing to contemplate.

-o0o-

Guy of Gisborne was playing his part well and he knew it. He had agreed to taking on a new wife so that York would do the dirty work for the Sheriff. He had been chivalrous to her. Granted she was a handsome woman, and soon, when he decided he was ready for offspring, he would grant her a consummation of their union. But she lacked spirit and that bored him. Still, her father had guaranteed that she would be dutiful and obedient and after Marian, that was refreshing.

What will she say when she finds out that Hood has captured her precious brother?

He smirked to himself in anticipation of her anguish and spurred his stallion on towards Locksley Manor.

-o0o-

He found her sitting on a fallen log, curled up with her arms wrapped around her knees. Leaves were flickering to the ground in earthen tones around her, and he thought to himself that she had never looked so vulnerable. She was staring off in the distance, oblivious to the lonely tears that spilled from her eyes.

Silent. Motionless. Lost.

His tough, fierce, ferocious Djaq.

Despite his recent rage, his shock at her actions, his annoyance with her acceptance of everything they had gone through, her level headed way of coping; despite all that, his heart went out to her.

He felt his anger fade. Thoughts of their prisoner were forgotten. His self recrimination swept away as he watched her for an age. All there was in the world was Djaq. There was nothing else to worry for.

Will did not have any idea about what to do next. To speak might anger her more, to embrace her or touch her would belittle her strength of will.

To turn away was not an option that he would consider for even a second.

He silently walked over to the log and sat down beside her, just close enough to touch, but just far enough away not to. And he waited quietly and patiently by her side.

And as dusk began to fall, and the damp of the evening dew began to settle, still he waited. And in those moments of precious peace, he thought back to the bivouac where they had fearfully hidden so many months ago, when Djaq had endured the miscarriage of their infant. With those memories came the vision of her face when she realised what was happening to her, her hope crumpling in the face of so much loss, and the urgency of their situation driving away what chances they had to grieve. Now they were home, back with their friends in England, no longer running away in fear and preparing to stand up and fight against the evil that had done this. And for the first time since that fateful day he allowed the sense of loss to strike him full force as the spirit of Sherwood Forest laid bare his emotional defences.

He didn't know when it happened, but they eventually found themselves in each others arms, both openly weeping, mourning for their lost child, for their friend Bassam and for the peace and security they had enjoyed for such a short time. Dusk grew into darkness and it enveloped them, shielding them like a blanket as they comforted each other.


	16. Love and Hatred

Part 16

Part 16

"I don't understand!" she gasped. "You are mistaken. Joseph is fighting the Crusades with King Richard."

"I fear my Lady, it is you who are mistaken. I witnessed it myself. He was captured by Robin Hood's murderous gang of outlaws this morning and taken away with them into Sherwood Forest"

She shook her head in denial, her ears refusing to acknowledge what they had heard, her heart refusing to accept what she had been told. So many aspects of this made no sense. Joseph should not be in England, her Father should not be in Nottingham, Robin Hood should not be the sort of villain who kidnaps innocent people. Was this the man she had found to be so charming earlier this evening? The questions came flooding through her mind as she fought desperately to make sense of this madness.

"But what were Joseph and my Father doing in Nottingham? He has never been there before. What would an outlaw possibly want with him? He has done no harm to Robin Hood or anyone else for that matter!" She paced around the room wringing her hands nervously. Her poor brother! She must find him.

Guy could not help but feel a twisted satisfaction in her reaction. She was agitated, perplexed, confused. She looked tormented and he found that it excited him as he watched her.

He walked over to his bride and placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him, startled. This was the first time he had ever touched her other than to take her hand.

"Hood is a vicious outlaw" he said, his soothing tone in total contrast to the words that he uttered. "There is no reason for him to do as he has done other than to disrupt the business of the good people like the Sheriff and your Father." His hands moved towards her neck and he began to caress her jaw line with his thumb. She could see the fire in his eyes and knew where this was leading.

Not now, please not now!

Her deep blue eyes filled with tears as the meaning of his words, his tone and his actions all hit home. Her husband was not offering her comfort in her distress, and she realised the nature of the man that she had married. She felt lost in the inevitability of what was to come.

-o0o-

The sun had not risen high enough to filter through the trees and the chill of the autumn night still lingered. But Djaq felt warm for the first time in weeks. She and Will were wrapped together in a blanket and in each other and it felt right. She regarded her sleeping husband for a while, not wanting to disturb the contented moment that she was enjoying by moving and waking him.

After the tears they had talked of their loss. They had shared their feelings of hopelessness. They had argued over what their best course of action should be, and they had permitted each other to feel differently about what they had gone through. Will stopped being angry at himself as he realised that Djaq never blamed him, and he opened his eyes again to see the inner strength that she had. And she in turn told him that she needed him, and that she loved him without limit.

The conversation ended with a tender kiss, and a new conversation was started that needed no words.

When they returned to the camp, Robin was the only one still awake. He was guarding their prisoner and he was waiting for them. No explanation was asked for as he simply smiled at them and nodded. Then he took them aside and set them the challenge. And to his delight, they agreed.

It was time for them to play the game with their prisoner and with a sigh, she moved and left his side.

-o0o-

Anne woke alone in Locksley Manor. Not that she had slept much. Guy had risen from the bed during the night and left for Nottingham again. He had said nothing to her, and had done little to comfort her in her distress. She had dreamt of this and the reality had been a nightmare. Aching in body and spirit she had wept until there were no more tears to cry and had at last fallen into an exhausted sleep.

With the sunlight came resolve. First things first she had to know what was happening to Joseph, and to try and rescue him. He was as much a pawn in this game as she was. She felt stirrings of anger as she thought of her father and how he had used her, and it deepened when she thought of her poor brother being endangered by his business dealings with the Sheriff of Nottingham. And a new emotion welled within her too, one that she thought she could never be capable of. Hatred.

She hated her husband for taking delight in her anguish. For how it had excited him to see her in pain. She hated him for marrying her with no intention of loving her.

And she hated Robin Hood! Oh how she hated him.

Yet she had said nothing to her husband about their meeting.

She rose, dressed and walked down to the kitchen. The servants were getting used to her dining there now and they set a place for her. Thornton was directing the maid to prepare the bed linen and tidy the bed chamber and stopped to acknowledge her as she entered. He looked at her with sympathy and she felt her cheeks go hot as she realised that he knew what had taken place the night before.

"My Lady" was all he said and she nodded in response.

She was not hungry but took some bread and cheese and started to nibble at it so as to appear occupied. She became aware of the glances in her direction as she chewed but ignored them. She had to think and the simple everyday tasks of the household staff provided a backdrop of normality while she pondered over everything she had been told.

Her first priority was to get to Joseph.

"Thornton" she said.

"Yes my Lady."

"How well do you know Robin Hood?"

-o0o-

Joseph of York felt panic rising in him as he listened to the conversation in the camp. This isn't how its supposed to be. Vaysey had assured him that he would not be harmed. It was a trick. It had to be. They were trying to make him talk that was all. It wouldn't work.

He strained his ears to listen to the hushed conversation. A small voice in the back of his mind marvelled at their stupidity. If he concentrated he could hear every word.

"Robin, this I do not like. At least let me stay with Djaq and take Will instead"

"No John, I need you with me. And besides Will and Djaq need some time together. It is better this way!"

"Better for who? You do want a prisoner left when you return."

"Look, Will has given me his word that he will stay calm. Djaq will make sure that Will does not do anything stupid. Besides we need him to build a bird house, the pigeons can't stay in the boxes forever."

"Not being funny, but personally I think you are asking for trouble. Thought you wanted to get information out of him."

"Him? I don't think he will tell us anything. He wants us to believe that he has some intelligence on the Sheriff's plans against the King, but he is just a small player in a big game. He knows little of significance. To be honest, if Will does lose it I won't be sorry. In the mean time we should ransom him and give the money to the poor"

"Master, I can't believe that you would leave him with Will! You have seen what he is capable of when he is angry. He nearly succeeded in killing the Sheriff with poison! It took Allan and John to hold him back yesterday. We do not kill in cold blood and that is what this is. By leaving Will in charge of the prisoner that is exactly what we are doing. I for one want no part in this!"

"Shh Much! Listen, it will be fine. Will has given me his word. As long as our friend here keeps his mouth shut, he should be safe enough! Come on its time to visit the Sheriff. Will, Djaq – you will be alright?"

"Yes Robin, we will be fine. Do not worry."

There was silence for a while, except for the bird calls and the chattering of squirrels busy foraging for the winter. He tried to work out where his captors were in the camp. But he could hear no human activity close by.

Nervous beads of sweat dripped down his back as he strained to hear some sign of movement. Some signal that he was not alone.

Maybe he was alone.

He would have called out but he did not like who may have to answer him. He began to regret his arrogant outburst from the day before. Agitating the young carpenter had seemed like good sport at the time, and had been done in an effort to divide the gang. He had believed that Hood would see him come to no harm, but now he knew different. Vaysey and Gisborne had been mistaken. Or had set him up.

Maybe he could escape.

He worked on his bonds and found that they could be loosened. Encouraged he worked on them further pulling against them and then pressing against the tree trunk until eventually he felt that he could pull one arm free. His arms ached with the effort of it and he found himself breathless with exertion. Stopping to rest, he strained to listen for sounds of movement within the camp.

Nothing.

Decision made he then pulled one arm out and dragged off his blindfold, blinking in the morning sunlight. When his vision cleared he found himself looking at the point of a short sharp sword. Looking up he stared in horror at the cold features of the young carpenter and his Saracen woman. They had been standing still, watching him for the entire time, barely breathing.

There was little doubt in his mind that they had every intention of killing him.


	17. Murderous Intent

Part 17

**Part 17**

"I hope you know what you are doing!" Much was still concerned about what they were doing.

"Relax, they'll be fine!" Conversely Allan was not.

"Oh really? And what happens if Will snaps? Where will we be then eh? We all know what he is capable of when he is riled, we've seen it before"

"Much, shut up!" John was irritated.

Robin ignored the conversation between the others. He knew that Much had a point, and that he was taking a leap of faith that the young Will Scarlett was able to keep his head and complete the plan. But he had to trust him if they were to get what they needed from their prisoner. And a dead prisoner was of no use to them, and Will could see that now, he was sure of it.

Much was still talking.

"You still haven't told us the plan Robin. What is this charade meant to achieve anyway? You don't think that he will be frightened enough to…."

"Shh, they are coming" he interrupted his former manservant, raising his hand.

And they fell silent as they watched three figures cut a path through the forest. One in front, two behind. They lay still until they had gone past them, and then silently rose in a well practiced manoeuvre, and followed.

-o0o-

Joseph of York was sweating. They had said nothing, only stared at him, features expressionless.

"You are going to kill me" he said it as a statement of fact, knowing that it was true.

They in turn continued to gaze back at him.

Swallowing nervously he tried to show that he was calm, but he knew he was failing. He tried to convince himself it was a trick.

"Robin Hood will be angry if you kill me" he declared nervously, desperately trying to find some way of saving his own life.

He was left without a response and he leaned against the tree, trying to calm his breathing and put the others off their guard. But it was to no avail.

The two glanced at each other and appeared to communicate something between them. Then the young man stepped back while she, holding the sword, indicated to him that he should move.

"Where are we going?"

No answer.

"I am not moving from here" he said and he sat down. Only to be roughly lifted to his feet again by the boy and pushed towards the door of their camp.

"Is that your game?" he shouted. "Am I going to be killed trying to run away? It was an accident – that's what you'll say"

His fear increased when the dark eyed woman smiled at him. An almost gleeful smile which turned into silent laughter. She was enjoying herself! What kind of savage was she that she would find joy in another's suffering? And he was no better, looking on impassively while she taunted him with her mirth!

They forced him to walk through the impressively crafted doorway and a small part of his mind marvelled at how they concealed the entrance with the hidden lever after they left. But mostly he was concerned with making good his escape. However he was now being held by the woman, and she had a tight grip on his arm, while the other one was swinging that axe with an expertise that provided no comfort.

"You will regret this!" he said eventually. "You think my Father will sit back and allow you to kill me without it going unpunished? He will use all of his power to hunt you and kill you. Those were his men who chased you from Portsmouth to here. You only made it here because they let you. They were told not to catch you, to let you get to Robin Hood, that way you keep him busy, while they fulfil their plans."

He knew he was babbling but he had to get the pair to say something. Anything. Indicate that you are listening to me. Please!

But they kept silent and moving, with no emotion showing on their faces except for cold hate.

The young soldier could feel panic stirring in his core. What could he do to save his life? He was prepared for a beating, for torture even, had even convinced his father that he was man enough to endure the pain. But the realisation that he was to be killed in cold blood stunned him. This was not supposed to be happening.

On they strode through the forest, and Joseph of York felt doomed to his fate.

-o0o-

She rode through the forest, trying to remember where she had met the outlaw the previous day. She had to find her brother and save him and was prepared to do whatever was necessary to achieve her goal. Even if that meant being pleasant to the man.

How swiftly things change!

Joseph! They were twins. But whereas she was the third daughter, he was the first born son and he did not bear the burden of that responsibility well. Father always had expectations of him that he continually struggled to fulfil and it broke her heart to see him strive for approval time and again. Often he would come to her and share his deepest thoughts with her, and she would hold him, soothing him, telling him that he was a good person. She knew that Father's will overwhelmed him, and stifled who he truly was. When he went to the Holy Lands to fight with King Richard, she felt a strange gladness for him, as he would be released from Father's influence for a while, even though she had wept, fearing that she would not see him again. But whereas she had prepared herself for the eventuality of his death in that far off land, that was a situation she could not influence, unlike this one. The way she saw things, her brother needed her and she would walk over burning embers to get to him.

Her conversation with Thornton had been an interesting one. He was still loyal to the outlaw, she could not even bring himself to think his name any more, and he was not forthcoming with information about the man. But she was nothing if not tenacious and she had persisted in finding out more about her brother's captor.

"What would you have me say My Lady? Sir Guy is Master of Locksley now." He had said in that quiet manner she had come to know and admire.

"But he was Master here before him. So what was he like?" she had replied, appearing innocent.

Thornton had hesitated, as she had known he would. He was a man who chose his words carefully, and she did not blame him for that.

"Was he kind? How did he manage his affairs? Was he loved by the people?" she elaborated for him.

He looked into her eyes and seemed to consider for a moment, weighing up the balance of his response. And then, clearly coming to a decision he spoke out about his former master for the first time.

"Master Robin knew the name of every man, woman and child in the village, and took pains to ensure that no one went hungry, and that the village was kept safe. We did not suffer from undue reprisals, nor worry about taxes that we could not afford to pay."

She nodded. Knowing in her heart that he spoke the truth. Yet there were always two sides to every person.

"Yet he chose to desert the village and went to war, leaving no-one behind to manage his affairs. That strikes me as someone who is somewhat careless and perhaps deserves to lose what he discards without hesitation." She hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but her feelings towards the much loved former master were somewhat negative.

"Yes, perhaps, My Lady" acknowledged Thornton. "Although some might say that it was naivety rather then carelessness."

She looked up at that, her eyebrows raised.

"I believe that Master Robin has matured somewhat over the past few years." He continued. "Little wonder when you consider what he has suffered of late."

"Tell me" she said.

And he told her the tale of Robin Hood, of how the young Earl of Huntingdon returned after being wounded in the Holy Lands while defending the King from a Black Knight masquerading as a Saracen. How he had found his lands under the governance of the new Sheriff who ruled with a cruel hand, and how a stranger now lived in his home. Of how he finally lost his title and lands defending the people in his village and became outlaw. Of how the fair Lady Marian, daughter of the former Sheriff had waited for him to return and they had rekindled their love. Of how they had fought together to protect the people of Nottinghamshire and to bring the King home. And finally how they had travelled to the Holy Lands to rescue Marian and save the King from a murderous plot, only to have Marian murdered and the King remain in Acre.

She had remained silent as she listened to his story. At the end she knew there was something that he had not told her, something important. She thought over everything that had been said and wondered…..

"Who was the Black Knight that tried to kill the King the first time?" she asked.

"My Lady I do not know for sure." He replied

"Yes you do Thornton. You do know. And I would like you to tell me so that I know that what my heart is telling me is true."

"Master Robin claims that it was Sir Guy."

She nodded. Yes of course it was.

"And the man who killed this Lady Marian?"

He regarded her with sympathetic eyes and she needed no answer.

"Thank-you Thornton," she finally said and asked for her horse to be made ready. This time he did not advise her to take an escort and merely bowed his head in response.

So here she was in Sherwood Forest again, trying to retrace her steps and find the outlaw that had charmed her so yesterday, whilst all the time holding her poor brother prisoner. This time she would not be so gullible, and she determined that she would be the beguiling one this time. This time she was armed with the dagger her brother had given to her as a gift when he had left for battle.

If she could only find him.

She was certain that she was in the right vicinity now. But there was no sign of the outlaw or any of his gang. Maybe she should make more noise. However she was not sure how she could add to the noise of her horse's hooves pounding the earth as they trotted through the tracks that she was sure they had taken, and she did not see how she could urge her horse to move any faster without endangering both of them.

She pulled the mare up and dismounted, listening all the while for sounds of humans, but all she could hear were bird calls and scurrying of woodland creatures.

She left her horse to roam and sat down on a protruding tree trunk. She would wait.

And eventually she was rewarded as she heard the sound of a human voice. A voice that she recognised well, and loved with all her heart. That voice sounded scared, panicking almost, and her heart felt read to hear it so, even while her resolve strengthened.

She got up and walked in the direction that his voice was coming from, drawing her dagger, and desperately trying to still her beating heart.

Joseph! I am coming.


	18. Secrets and Truths

Part 18

Robin was pleased. Things were progressing well with both Will and Djaq acting just as he wanted them to. Their young prisoner was clearly panicking, as he was led through the forest by his silent captors. He grinned to himself. It looked like his hunch was correct, he had been told that he would not be harmed, and that security had been whipped away from him in one step.

Serves him right!

Now all they had to do was watch and wait for him to blurt out his story.

They came towards a clearing and stopped, staying hidden while Will and Djaq turned and faced their prisoner, expressions blank and emotionless.

Allan a Dale could not help but laugh silently at his discomfort, impressed at how Will and Djaq were performing. As he turned towards Much, a flash of movement caught his eye. Peering through the forest his eyes widened as he realised who was approaching the trio in the clearing and he nudged Robin in alarm.

-o0o-

Sheriff Vaysey grinned at his lieutenant. This was too good to be true!

"Dogs you say?"

"That is what he said. He sent out the hunting dogs this morning. He is using the boy's cloak as scent. He does not believe that Hood will ransom his son and is not prepared to wait any longer."

"The man's an idiot! I like it."

Gisborne merely smirked in response, acknowledging the fact to be true.

"How did Mrs Gis take the news?"

"Badly My Lord."

"Shame. I am sure you were there to comfort her in her hour of need hmmm?"

-o0o-

She was creeping as quietly as she could towards the sound of her beloved brother's voice, her heart thumping to a crescendo. As she drew nearer, his words became clearer and she listened intently as another voice, a female one, soft yet clear with a strange accent responded.

"Why should I spare you? You murdered my child!"

Anne stopped, suddenly chilled to the core. Even the sound of her pulse rushing through her 

ears had ceased. All that existed were the voices and although deep inside her heart whispered to her to carry on and save Joseph, her head screamed at her to listen.

"No! I would never hurt a child! You are mistaken!"

"My child never came into this world, she was never given the chance. And you did it."

"I did not touch you!"

"You gave the order"

"The priest! It was him!"

"You watched as your soldiers held me and he beat me."

"I took no part in the blood shed – you know that!"

"You laughed at us!"

"No! No! I laughed when the priest was…when you killed …."

Anne hardly acknowledged the silence that followed Joseph's somewhat lame statement as her mind struggled to comprehend what she was hearing. No it cannot be true!

"Please do not kill me!"

She thought her heart would break, yet still her feet were rooted to the ground as deeply as the tree she stood behind, fascinated and horrified in equal measure as she waited to hear what was to come. And again she jumped in shock as a new voice responded. A man's voice this time, cold with hatred and she felt dread.

Yet she still listened.

"Why should we spare you?"

"I am a soldier. I follow orders."

"Who's orders?"

"It was not my intent to hurt you."

"But you did. And you show no remorse until now when your life is at stake" it was her voice again, angry now.

"Who's orders?"

"The old man was not supposed to be hurt, just the birds."

"Who's orders?"

The young man's voice was getting louder and even more menacing as he repeated the phrase like a mantra. Please tell him Joseph, please!

"The priest was the only one who was supposed to be killed I swear."

An eerie silence filled the forest that lasted mere seconds, but to Anne felt like an eternity. Move you fool, save him. But her feet did not obey. She had to hear more, she needed to know the truth.

Again it was the man's voice, quiet now but no less menacing.

"Who's orders did you follow?"

"My father's"

Anne felt her world caving in as she recognised the truth in his words. Her hands dropped by her sides and the shining dagger that she had gripped so tightly during the exchange fell to the forest floor. She felt her knees buckling beneath her as if the weight of a thousand worlds had landed on her shoulders and she crumpled to the ground.

Everything that she had known and trusted in her young life had just proved to be a lie. In a flash she saw in her minds eye how proud her father had looked as he gave her away to Gisborne, and remembered how she had thought of Joseph and how sad he would have been to have missed her wedding. And they had known all along. They had even used her as a bargaining tool, handing her over to a cruel and heartless man. And all the while perpetrating acts of horror against innocent people.

And for what?

"Why?" the angry young man wanted to know too.

"Because the King will not come home, and Prince John wants his throne. And they plan to remove the King." Joseph sounded desperate now, but she felt a strange detachment as she struggled to come to terms with what she was hearing.

"Who are they?"

"Vaysey and Gisborne"

Of course! A plot to supplant the king with his brother. Yet her Father has pledged loyalty to King Richard, indeed that is why Joseph left…..but no, he went to do Father's bidding. A tiny seed of hope took root in her heart as she wondered if her Joseph may not actually be held accountable for the heinous crimes the couple accused him of.

"I do not understand. Why did they even care about us?"

"I do" the woman responded. "You needed to keep Robin and your King apart, so that Robin cannot protect him. What is the plan for the King? Are you planning to murder him?"

"Never! I swear!"  


"We do not believe you" said the man, quietly now and somehow more sinister than when he was angry.

Anne realised that now was the time to intervene. She had nothing left to believe in now so the least she could do was stand beside her brother and attempt to defend him, even if it cost her her life.

She rose quietly, recovering her dagger and leaned against the tree once more, marking the time to be ready to make her move.

"You must! I would never partake in murder of the King. But the country cannot afford to pay for this continued war, our people are suffering."

"Do not speak to us of suffering!" hissed the woman angrily, "We have suffered greatly at the hands of Vaysey and Gisborne, they are the disease which has made this country sick. You hand it over to them and then we will truly know what hardship is."

Now! Do it now! She tensed ready to spring out into the clearing, but before she could move she felt a hand clamp around her mouth and strong arms haul her back away from her brother.

No! She struggled as she was manhandled away, but he was too strong and too quick.

"Shh lass. Shh. They will not harm him" came the gruff whisper of the large man who held her. "they just need to know why."

Something in his voice calmed her and she turned to look at a bear of a man, all hair and beard but with a gentle almost fatherly air about him. He nodded reassuringly at her and gestured toward the left where she recognised three others, listening to the conversation in the clearing. Robin Hood was there and he regarded her with a serious look on his face, quite clearly not pleased to see her.

Then suddenly his features turned to shock, and his companions tensed. Everything seemed to go still as an unmistakeable sound reached them from a great distance.

Dogs! Deep inside some instinct told her that her father was coming!


	19. The Chase

Part 19

The hounds had caught the scent! Sir Steven of York was an experienced hunter and recognised the tell tale change in the dogs' baying. Tails pointing directly outward the dogs indicated their prey and strained to chase it.

"My Lord, we have them!"

He barely acknowledged the statement of the obvious and merely growled an order to release the hounds. Six wolf terriers were released by their handlers and they shot off in the same direction, barking loudly as the scent was carried on the wind.

"Make chase!" he yelled, and he spurred his horse after the yelping dogs, closely followed by his men at arms. There were three of them, and they remembered a similar chase in this very forest, merely days ago.

Shrubs and ferns whipped at the legs of the horses as they left the pathway through the forest. They had to crouch low to avoid low hanging branches, and then dodge around thickets of brambles and berries. Soon it would be impossible to ride, but for now he urged his mount further into the heart of Sherwood, determined to rescue his son at all costs.

He was angry at having been manipulated by the Sheriff and his lackey into exposing his only son and heir to mortal danger at the hands of these outlaws. He did not doubt that they were capable of murdering him. They certainly had the motive to do so, even if it was a misguided one. He had little faith in the integrity of this Locksley character, despite the reassurances of the Sheriff that it was not the man's style. That the fool known as Robin Hood would see this as an opportunity to ransom the return of his son in the name of the wretched poor. And then they would send a message to Richard describing what had happened and surely then he would come home to rule his kingdom from within and not wage a useless foreign war, wasting precious reserves for the purpose of glory.

But when the anticipated ransom demand did not arrive, he knew he had to act swiftly or the plan could result in the death of his son. And that was unacceptable.

The events of the past months flashed by him as he swept past each tree, leaping over roots and shrubs, drawing ever closer to his target. The arrival of Gisborne; his words of dissent; the logical argument for bringing Richard back to England; how the name Robin Hood was actually a thorn in the King's side and had to be revealed as such to Richard; the plan that they hatched, and sealed with the marriage of Gisborne to his lovely daughter Anne, Joseph's return from the Holy Lands and the tidings that he brought.

He cursed himself for a fool, realising that even if they succeeded in bringing Richard back home, there would be little chance of a place at the King's Table, not after he had aligned himself with the King's sworn enemies. How naive he was to accept what he had been told by Gisborne, hearing what he wanted to hear, his own words spoken back to him by a stranger. But what else could they do but continue with the plan as best as they could? Anne was now involved and they had to protect her.

They stopped suddenly as the dogs lost the scent and scurried along in circles, noses to the ground. A whisper of wind and with noses up, the baying sounded again.

They were getting close!

-o0o-

"It's my Father! I am sure of it!" whispered Anne to the large man who still held her in a strong grip.

"Robin!" he hissed urgently, awaiting instructions.

Robin Hood was thinking, and all of them waited anxiously as the sounds of the dogs drew closer.

"Master! The dogs!"

"Much! I'm thinking!" Robin was scowling as the seeds of a plan came to mind.

"Do it fast then!" seethed Allan a Dale, staring in the direction of the cacophony.

Robin then stood and whistled a signal, and Djaq quickly appeared. If she was surprised at the presence of the Lady Anne she did not show it, merely nodding as she received instructions from her leader, then turned back to the clearing where her husband and their captive waited nervously.

"Spread out lads, two and two, in line north and south, follow Will and Djaq. My Lady, if you please, go with John."

She found herself wordlessly complying with his instructions, not really knowing what else to do. If she stayed to face her father, who knows what the ramifications might be? At least this way she could be with Joseph. Not for the first time today, she swallowed her fear and took a step into the unknown.

Except this time she did not feel alone, and she felt a strange sensation that no harm would come to her with this group of ruffians. She stood beside the big man – John – and felt more secure than she had in weeks. Unlike the outlaws who appeared to be somewhat nonplussed.

"But the dogs will follow them! We'll all get caught won't we?" complained Allan, wondering if Robin had lost his mind.

But Robin merely grinned.

"I will buy us some time!" was all he said.

They split to either side of the clearing and watched as Djaq and Will instructed the young soldier to strip off his tunic, then Will grabbed the rope binding him and started running to the east, while Djaq grabbed the tunic and headed towards Robin, hurling it towards him before following her husband. The rest of them all followed, each taking a parallel path hoping to fool the hounds for a moment while they took cover, until Robin returned.

As for Robin, after ensuring that the others were clear, he took off in the direction of the dogs, clutching the tunic that bore the scent of young Joseph of York. As he drew closer, he felt the blood pumping through his veins as the thrill of the chase took hold of him. He was prepared to lead the hunters a merry dance and leave them dazed and confused and far far away before returning to his gang. But to do so would mean that he would have to use all his cunning to stay tantalisingly close without being spotted. Be the wily fox against the determined hound.

But to be anything else would be no fun at all!

He trailed the tunic behind him, hoping that the dogs would follow this scent rather than that of the man himself. The barking of the dogs and crashing of the horses was closer now, so much so that he could almost smell the sweat from the steeds himself. This was the point that he took off towards the north, aiming deeper and deeper into the heart of the forest.

He had never felt so alive!


	20. Conscience

Hello everyone,

once again apologies for the late update - but real life has an awful habit of interfering with this life!! I hope you enjoy this chapter. We are heading to the home straight soon and believe it or not the ending is written (in my head lol) and I just have to find a credible way to get there.

Please enjoy and feel free to leave a comment - they are a pleasure to read. Thank-you so much to those of you who do take the time to do it.

-o0o-

Part 20

Will Scarlett was disappointed.

They had come so close to extracting an explanation out of their young prisoner and then the sound of the approaching dogs had halted their progress. Of course they had gleaned a great deal out of him. His father had been plotting with the evil Sheriff and Guy of Gisborne, and it had all been to drive a wedge of doubt between Robin and King Richard. But he still did not understand the reason behind it all! He needed to know why he and Djaq had been mercilessly used in such a way, why Bassam had been killed. Otherwise what was the point?

For Will there had to be a purpose for it all or he could not move on. For years he had lived and breathed his hatred of the Sheriff of Nottingham and his lieutenant, and for a short while his life with Djaq had allowed him to forget about it. Now the fire had rekindled and it burned brighter than before. For now the person who suffered was the woman he loved and he would not rest until they both could find peace.

As they walked through the forest with their prisoner he could hear the barking of the dogs becoming more distant, and knew that his guess at Robin's plan had been right and that he had been a successful decoy. He wondered if Robin would be alright. And then dismissed the thought knowing that the man could look after himself and would soon be back to direct the proceedings.

A cool breeze whispered through the trees and he noticed that their young captive was shivering without his tunic. He shared a glance with Djaq and after a silent communication he nodded and then removed his cloak and placed it around his shoulders. He ignored the look of surprised gratitude on the young man's face as they proceeded onwards through Sherwood Forest. Djaq was leading after having received the instructions from Robin, and he appreciated that she could not tell him what they were. After a while though, when they could no longer hear the dogs, he realised that she was bearing northwards and he knew that they were heading back towards the camp. A pigeon call to the east, and another to the west confirmed that the gang were travelling with them.

He stole a glance at his beautiful wife, still amazed that he could call her that. The night that they had had together had healed many of the wounds between them, yet still the scars were there to be seen. He hated that she had suffered so, and that he had been powerless to prevent it. Yes he could see that now. But that still did not take away his need for revenge against those who had hurt them. However last night as they had talked, fought, cried and loved together, he had come to the realisation that they were in this together and that united they would fight. And that they would strike at the true evil, not at the pawns who only executed the instructions of those who manipulated the events.

But still, he could not deny that it had been most satisfying to see their prisoner squirm!

He had to admit Robin's plan had been a good one. He was a clever man, and if truth be told a good manipulator himself. He wondered for a moment, if that was what marked you as a noble man – someone who would twist events to ensure that you got what you wanted from them. How he longed for a straightforward life without the politics of being involved with the noble folk, where he could practice his craft and raise his family in peace. He wondered if that chance would ever come for him and Djaq.

Will knew that he was a simple man, and that he did not understand the ways of the aristocracy. They were all taking part in some great scheme, the purpose of which was not clear to him, and in all likelihood it never would as it would fall in that vast grey domain that was the difference between right and wrong, the transition between black and white that he never could tolerate. Like the tools of his craft, he realised that he would forever be used to shape and build the plans of others and that you had to be careful who you were serf to as you might not get to enjoy the fruits of your labours.

He shrugged as he considered that he blindly followed the orders of Robin of Locksley, trusting him to hold his best interests at heart. He comforted himself with the thought that at least here and now they were getting closer to the answers that they craved. And even if he never understood the true reasons why, at least he would know who was to blame. He would have someone to hate.

Yes Will Scarlett was a simple man. But he was not stupid.

In silence they approached the camp, opened the doorway, entered and sat down to wait for Robin.

-o0o-

Robin Hood was having the time of his life as he led his hunters away from the others, chopping and changing direction, climbing the trees to confuse the animals, physically walking along adjacent boughs and landing behind them, sending them on a frenzied chase in the opposite direction. Few people knew Sherwood Forest as well as he did. And he used every inch of his knowledge and guile to keep them hungry for the chase, enticing them with a glimpse, ensuring that they were downwind of him first then upwind of him for a while so that he could rest.

Finally he could see that the hunters had stopped and were milling around in confusion and that the game was over. He deemed that they were at least two miles away from the camp and the others and so it would be safe enough to return. Grinning with satisfaction, he dropped the tunic and silently turned in the direction of his gang, leaving his foes lost and bewildered in the vast forest.

His grin widened still when he heard the growl of anger and frustration behind him. They had found the tunic!

During his walk back to the camp he had time to consider this new turn of events and how he could turn it to his advantage.

Lady Anne had not given them away. Clearly she had heard everything that her brother had to say so far, and knew that her father was implicated in this plot. But still she had been prepared to defend her brother even though she had not cried out to him. An intelligent woman, she was obviously biding her time before deciding what to do next. But what would he do with her in the meantime? He contemplated several plans whereby she could be used to extract information from their prisoner. Should he hold her prisoner as well, use her as a bargaining tool with the young man? It was likely that he would do anything to protect her. But then, would a protective brother allow her to be wed to a cruel and malicious man? Perhaps he had been powerless to prevent it under the rule of an overbearing father. What if he got her to talk to the man? He dismissed that idea immediately. They would not talk openly in front of the others, and to allow them time alone was not possible. Should he just send her back to Locksley? But what was to stop her from bringing Gisborne straight to them?

What would Marian do?

The unbidden thought brought him to a dead stop. He almost heard her voice scolding him. Telling him he was a fool and that he was being ridiculous. He smiled at her, seeing in his mind's eye her teasing features mocking him as her hand caressed his cheek. He shivered at the memory, missing her more than ever.

"What do I do my love?"

"_Talk to her_" she seemed to say reaching to his very soul. "_She can help you. In your heart you know she is a good woman_."

"I can't" he replied. "I am afraid"

"_Of what? Your feelings? You fear that you might learn to love her?"_

"No! I will never love again."

"_Fool! If that is the case, then what are you afraid of? Besides she is not yours to love." _

"No she is Gisborne's"

"_Have I taught you nothing? She is not a thing to possess. She belongs to whom she chooses."_

"What do I do my love?"

"_Talk to her."_

He stood for eternity and for a moment, lost in blissful memory, knowing all the time that hers was the voice of reason that was buried deep within him. And thus resolved, he continued his journey, still considering his options, but this time based on the outcome of his conversation with Lady Anne of Gisborne.

-o0o-

She still did not understand why she did not call out to Joseph to tell him that she was nearby. To do so would be easy, no one was holding her, or trying to prevent her from speaking. They just seemed to trust that she would stay silent. Had she given them such a signal?

What was it about these people that made her feel safe? They were ruffians and villains, wild and dirty, thieves and vagabonds. Yet here she was in their midst feeling no fear, like she was one of them. Her head screamed at her to do something, make good her escape, call out to her brother, yell for her father. Yet her body refused to co-operate and she meekly followed the big man as they made their way through the forest, he was taking her somewhere that she did not know in a direction she could not discern. She should be afraid.

Perhaps it was the way he had looked at her – the big man with the long hair and beard. There was sympathy in his eyes that seemed to indicate that he knew how she was feeling, like he understood her sorrow. Maybe it was hearing the pain in the woman's voice, and how she controlled her emotions, her hatred of her brother. Or perhaps it was because she realised that her own anger and hatred was no longer directed at Robin Hood but towards those who had been duty bound to protect her since she was born. But did that realisation come before she looked into those green eyes in the forest or after?

She could not see Joseph any more, but intuitively knew that the man in front of her was following him and his captors. The sound of the dogs grew ever more distant telling her that Robin Hood had succeeded in leading her father away from them. And she was glad. She did not want to consider facing him yet.

As they wandered through the forest, a landscape that was both familiar and alien to her, some instinct told her that her future would be intertwined with the fate of these outlaws and that their lives would be as dependant on her future actions as hers was of them at this moment. In what form that would be she did not know, but she accepted her fate willingly, allowing herself to be carried along with the flow until she was in a position to control her life again.

Eventually they came to an outcrop of rocks which nestled within a small clearing surrounded by giant trees. The forest floor was littered with bronzed leaves from several years of leaf fall. In front of her she saw her brother and was surprised to note that he was wearing the young man's cloak. To her left, she spotted the other two men, who nodded over at her companion. The one with the hat looked at her with concern in his eyes, quite clearly trying to assess her as friend or foe. The other one had the audacity to wink at her! Her eyes opened even wider when she saw the woman reach into a niche and pull on something, and the rise of leaves transformed magically into a doorway, through which they entered and it closed behind them leaving the forest undisturbed.

"I love it when people see that for the first time."

The cocky one was silenced with a glare from her large companion.

"What happens now?" she whispered to him, still not believing that she was playing part in the deception of her beloved brother.

"Now we wait"


	21. Decisions

Part 21

He was a patient man. He was good at waiting. And he would sit here for as long as it took. However he could not say the same for his companions.

Much was fidgeting, quite clearly anxious about how Robin was faring, and if he could count he would be marking the seconds until his return. John knew the signs and accepted that there was nothing anyone could do to make Much feel better. Only Robin had the power to calm him down in these situations. And therefore all Much could do was wait.

Waiting was not something that Much could do very well.

Allan a Dale was also struggling with the silence. It had to be said that Allan had the ability to be calm and still whenever it was necessary for an ambush or when they were in danger. In fact, experienced poacher that he was, it was likely that he could lie silently in wait longer than any of them. But today he was not hunting prey, and he still felt vulnerable with the dogs still out there. They did not have the relative safety of the camp while they waited outside it for Robin's return. He had just recently faced his worst fear and he was on edge. John could almost feel the tension emanating from him even as his typical languishing pose against a tree belied the barely discernible trembling in his limbs.

John felt a strange feeling of sympathy towards Allan, realising that he had at last come to forgive him for his treachery. He wondered when that had happened as it had not been a conscious thought.

Lady Anne of Gisborne was the only one who sat still. She did not move, or glance at any of the others. She rested on a fallen log, back poker straight, and did not look at anyone. All she did was stare at the rise in the forest floor where the camp doorway should be. It was as if she wanted it to open by sheer force of her will so that she could know what was happening within, and could be reunited with her brother. She made no noise, or attempt to escape. John was impressed with how clever she was. She was either wise enough to know that their young captive would come to no harm, or was playing a very careful game, waiting for her opportunity. Perhaps both he admitted to himself.

The sun had gone past its apex, and still there was no sign of Robin. John began to worry.

-o0o-

Will and Djaq were also waiting. But whereas those outside had little to occupy them, they at least had tasks that could be carried out to while away the time and they busied themselves with somewhat mundane tasks as they waited.

Joseph of York watched them with interest from his usual position, tied against the oak tree. They had decided not to blindfold him this time and he took note of the ingenious camp and marvelled at how cleverly it had been constructed. He watched in wonder as a fire was lit in the cooking area, and a meal was prepared by the young man while the woman fed some pigeons, hovering close to him with her sword nearby in a demonstration that she was still watching him. There appeared to be a place for everything in this hideout, an order to its layout, and an element of comfort in its construction. This was a base of operations of an organised group of people, a craftily hidden bolt hole where they were safe from the authorities.

He did not know what he thought about that. Surprised? Yes. He had been led to believe that they were disparate, and that they were constantly fighting between themselves. Treachery and deceit were the watchwords of this group according to the Sheriff. Ironic to see that this was not the case considering the source of that particular piece of information. For although he had initially feared for his life when the couple had dragged him into the forest, he had realised that they had been acting under orders at the moment they had heard the dogs, and that he had been the victim of some game or other. At the time he had felt relief, but looking back now he just felt foolish that he had been so easily taken in by them.

They had said nothing to him since the time at the clearing. The only attention paid to him had been when the boy had handed him his cloak. Initially he had wanted to refuse it, but in reality he was grateful for its warmth. He wondered at the kindness of these strangers who so obviously hated him and for good reason. But now they hardly even looked at him. He thought about speaking to them, striking up a conversation, perhaps trying to develop a relationship with them, but dismissed the idea as a fool's hope. They would never be taken in by him after what he had done to them. Who could blame them for that?

Deep within him he felt the stirrings of remorse for the first time. He hung his head and thought about the consequences of his own actions. At some point he would pay a price and he wondered if he would ever get the chance to redeem himself. He closed his eyes and sighed.

He opened them again as the doorway to the camp widened to reveal the concerned features of a person that he knew and loved with all his heart.

Anne!

-o0o-

"Good Will hunting?" snorted the gleeful Sheriff of Nottingham as the glowering figure of Steven of York strode purposefully into the Great Hall.

"I'll wipe that smile off your face you evil little-" he stopped suddenly when his path was blocked by the black clad figure of Guy of Gisborne.

"My Lord" he said quietly. "I take it that it did not go well!"

"No!" he simmered. "We found Joseph's tunic. That is all!"

"Do not make the mistake of thinking that Robin Hood is stupid!" sneered Vaysey as he sat and picked his toenails. "We told you not to go after them, now you have played into their hands."

"So, what do we do?" York loathed the thought of acting under the hated man's direction, but what choice did he have if his ambitions were to come to fruition? He had worked too long and too hard for this and could not avert from his path now at this late stage. Too long he had waited for Richard to return and grant him the Barony that he wanted; now he would have to appeal to John, and that would come at a price. Was he prepared to give up his son and heir for it?

"Do? We wait for the ransom just as we planned. If sonny boy is playing his part, they will want rid of him soon enough, and Hood is not the sort of man to turn down the chance to make a profit for the bleeding hearts. He will come and make his demands in due course."

"And when he does we will be waiting for him" smirked Gisborne, resulting in a sneer of disgust from Vaysey.

"It makes no difference. Joseph is one of Richard's golden boys and pretty boy is out of favour what with harbouring a priest killer and his leper savage. The letters are prepared for you to sign and seal for sending to His Majesty. It would be good if you played your part tonight."

Steven of York reluctantly agreed.

"Send them to my room" he said, his shoulders sinking in resignation and as he left the Great Hall he failed to see the smug look of satisfaction on the Sheriff's face.

-o0o-

Robin had spotted them at the camp entrance and could not resist. Grinning mischievously he climbed an ancient beech tree and crept along its limbs towards its neighbouring oak tree, then circumvented that one until he was in the rowan tree hovering just above Allan's head.

"For the love of – " Allan a Dale jumped several feet in the air as his leader leapt down in front of him, snickering with glee. Instantly John and Much were on their feet weapons ready to defend themselves until they saw it was Robin. Shaking his head at Robin, John relaxed and walked towards him, the look on his face demonstrating that he was not amused at his antics.

"You see what I have to put up with" muttered Much as he sheathed his sword and drew closer to stand beside Allan, who was still clutching at his heart.

"Don't ever do that again!" he whispered angrily at Robin, still breathing heavily.

Only Anne remained where she was, watching the scene with a single raised eyebrow. Robin's eyes met hers and the cheeky smile on his face faded as they looked at each other. A world of pain lay between them and both wondered how they could possibly bridge the void.

"What's the plan Robin?" asked John, eager for action after all this waiting.

"I think that all depends on you, my Lady" he replied looking at Anne again.

She nodded in response. She had been expecting this even as much as she had been dreading it.

"You would have me betray my own brother" she sighed, "You must know that I could never do that."

"You betray him now by sitting here with us" offered Allan a Dale, who withdrew at the withering look from Robin while she stiffened at his words.

"He is right" she said in despair. "I stood there and listened whilst your people threatened him. He could be saying anything to save his own life. How could I know what the truth is? Who can I believe if not my own brother?" She looked up into Robin's eyes as if looking for the answer within his soul.

"You do not know Will and Djaq My Lady, but I expect that you are a good woman and that you care about the welfare of others. Those people as you put it have suffered at the hands of your brother. You should hear their story." he said the words quietly and simply, without anger or malice and then proceeded to tell her the story as was told by Will and Djaq several days ago on their return from the Holy Land. As she listened she found herself smiling as she heard about how they met, and grew wistful when they declared their love for each other when facing death. She sighed at the thought of their marriage by the King himself and yearned to feel the true love that they clearly had for each other as they stayed behind in the Holy Lands. Then she wept as she heard of the murder of Bassam and the loss of their baby and knew then that the conversation that she had heard in the forest was true.

But was Joseph to blame for all of this?

"We do not blame Joseph for this. But he has information that we must know to find out who is really behind this and what their plan truly is" Robin affirmed. "We have no doubt that our friends were used to drive a wedge between me and King Richard, therefore we believe that King Richard is in danger. We must know! We need your help! Will you help us?"

Anne's mind was in turmoil. Where did she fit into all of this? Why would her father be involved when he supported the King so much? Why engage with the evil Sheriff of Nottingham and even give his daughter away to his lieutenant? What part did Joseph play in all of this? Was he an unwitting pawn or a willing participant?

There was only one way to find out and that meant playing Robin Hood's game for a while.

"I will help you" she agreed and Robin smiled at her. A warm and genuine smile that she could not help but return. "But on the condition that you let me and Joseph leave when you have found out what you need to know".

Robin's smile vanished and he shook his head.

"I cannot promise you that." He declared firmly. "But you will not be harmed, of that you can be certain."

For a moment Anne thought about refusing, then realised that although she was not treated as such, she was as much a captive as her brother within the camp and therefore in reality she had little choice but to comply. Perhaps she could bargain for their freedom later when she had proved that Joseph had little choice in his actions and was therefore innocent. The real enemies were the Sheriff and her husband – and her father.

She nodded as she listened to Robin's instructions then stood and faced the doorway. Robin stood behind her and she felt a strange kind of comfort in his presence, a source of strength as she prepared to face her brother and lie to him, something she had never done in their entire lives.

It was a pity she could not say the same thing about him.

As the huge figure of John Little pulled on the hidden lever the door opened and she faced the doorway and the answers that lay within. As she glanced inside she quickly found him tied against the oak tree. Her heart filled with grief as she saw the full range of emotions play across his face, surprise, joy, doubt, worry, fear. Yet despite that only one conscious thought was prevalent in her mind and before she knew it, she gave it a voice.

"You lied to me"

She tried to ignore the devastation on his face, feeling that her heart was breaking along with his.


End file.
